Prefabricated bathroom assembly and methods of its manufacture and installation

Abstract

A prefabricated bathroom assembly and methods for its manufacture and installation are disclosed. For example, a prefabricated tub and / or shower assembly may be provided. In some embodiments, the prefabricated assembly may include at least a bathtub or a shower pan, tile surround(s), and a ceiling. The prefabricated assembly may be constructed substantially entirely off-site relative to a construction site and shipped to the construction site, for example, in substantially a single piece. Finishing face trim for making a seamless transition from the prefabricated assembly to the adjoining walls and ceiling may also be provided. In other embodiments, at least partially prefabricated panels (e.g., 3 wall panels and 1 ceiling panel), a tub or shower pan, the face trim, and / or other components may be shipped separately to the construction site for on-site assembly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 473,651, filed Jun. 22, 2006, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 993,385, filed Sep. 11, 2007, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]Embodiments of the present invention relate to a prefabricated bathroom assembly and methods of its manufacture and installation. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide a tub and / or shower assembly at least partially prefabricated off site relative to and methods of its manufacture and installation.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Presently, the on-site construction of bathrooms requires various craftsmen such as general contractors, framers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, plasterers, tilers, and painters to take turns performing their respective tasks. This inevitably results in excessive delay ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention are provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention described herein. Embodiments of the present invention relate to a prefabricated bathroom assembly and methods of its manufacture and installation. In a preferred embodiment, the bathroom assembly includes at least some of the same or similar building materials (e.g., stud construction, tile finishing, wallpaper, floor-mounted toilets, bathtubs, etc.) traditionally used for on-site construction, in order to provide maximal aesthetic quality and comfort as well as the ability for a purchaser to customize the design. The bathroom assembly is preferably pre-fabricated substantially in its entirety off-site for delivery to the site in a single piece, and needing only fastening into place and connection to utilities at the site in order to complete the installation. The prefabricated bathroom assemblies described herein may be particularly suited for installation in residences, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, or any other structures built on land. Nevertheless, it will be understood that embodiments disclosed herein may also be used in marine applications (e.g., state rooms in cruise ships). In an embodiment, the prefabricated bathroom assembly may include a low-profile floor that complies with applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

[0010]In another embodiment, a method for manufacturing a floor of a prefabricated bathroom assembly is provided. Generally, tile or other floor finishing material is fixed to a honeycomb composite with an adhesive. Then, the combined structure of tile, adhesive, and honeycomb composite is exposed to ultraviolet light which may, for example, reduce cure time.

[0016]In another embodiment, a prefabricated bathroom assembly is fitted with a caster system that facilitates transportation of the bathroom assembly and final placement of the bathroom assembly at the construction site.

[0017]In another embodiment, a prefabricated bathroom assembly is designed, at least in part, with Computer Aided Design (“CAD”) technology. CAD can be used to design a prefabricated bathroom assembly down to even the smallest details, and may be useful for customizing the design for, for example, a particular living space and / or size tile(s) selected by a customer. In one embodiment, CAD design is used to map the placement of plumbing, electrical components (e.g., wires or conduits), stud dimensions and connections, and / or other fixtures and connections. Such a mapping may be used to determine the exact cutting of wall panel materials such as gypsum board. In another embodiment, CAD design is used to map the layout of tiles on the floor and / or wall(s) of the prefabricated bathroom assembly. At least a portion of the CAD design may be automated. For example, one or more customized scripts may be created for automatically designing the framing layout for wall panels based on input(s) representing the dimensions of the finished wall and / or for automatically mapping placement of the floor tiles based on inputs indicative of the floor dimensions, tile size, toilet placement, and / or tub placement. A library of plumbing and electrical fixtures may be provided that can be inserted into any design, thereby reducing design time.

Problems solved by technology

This inevitably results in excessive delay and slow turnaround times for the construction of such bathrooms.

This also typically results in high labor costs for bathroom construction due to the large number of parties involved in the construction process.

First, the carpenters may move on-site to construct a frame for the bathroom, which may involve the erection of stud walls.

Because bathrooms require many trades to work in a confined space, it is common for delays of one trade to impact all the others thereby lengthening construction time.

Practically, these prior modular bathrooms are not suitable for use in structures, such as residential buildings, that are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

It is also unfeasible from a construction perspective to use a modular bathroom that must be placed within a pre-formed recess in the building floor.

Such a requirement complicates the construction of the building floor and is not cost effective.

The modular bathrooms noted above also are not readily customizable in terms of size and / or according to aesthetic taste due to their molded fiberglass design.

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