Interlocking Modular Shower Pan for Custom Drainage Slope
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shower pan installations require extensive labor and cannot be easily customized to fit non-standard shapes or slopes, necessitating pre-sloping of the floor and often requiring a plumber's presence.
Innovation Solution
A modular shower pan system comprising interlocking polygon panels with a pre-selected sloped top surface and interlocking profile, allowing for rapid assembly and customization of drainage slope without the need for mortar or extensive labor, using a computer-calculated slope and adhesive bonding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional shower pan systems use mortar and waterproof liner, then proper drainage slope can be achieved, but extensive labor and pre-sloping of floor are required
Solution Approach 1:
The shower pan is divided into multiple modular panels that can be independently manufactured with pre-formed slopes. Each panel is a self-contained unit with standardized dimensions and drainage characteristics, allowing rapid assembly without requiring on-site mortar work or floor pre-sloping.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage slope is pre-formed during panel manufacturing rather than being created during installation. Each panel arrives at the job site with its slope already established, eliminating the time-consuming process of applying and curing mortar to create the drainage gradient.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional shower pans are installed, then drainage function is achieved, but customization to non-standard shapes or slopes is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses standardized modular panels that can be combined in various configurations to create custom shower pan shapes and slopes. By segmenting the shower pan into discrete units, the system achieves versatility without requiring complex custom fabrication for each installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular panels are designed with universal interconnection features that allow them to be assembled into multiple configurations. The same basic panel design can serve different shower sizes and shapes, reducing system complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
3Productivity
If modular panels with interlocking profile are used, then rapid assembly is enabled, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the shower pan into discrete modular panels, the system can achieve high manufacturing precision in controlled factory settings. Each panel is manufactured independently with precise tolerances, and the interlocking profiles are precision-machined to ensure rapid, accurate assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking profile design incorporates specific geometric parameters and tolerance ranges that balance manufacturing precision requirements with assembly speed. The profile geometry is optimized to provide sufficient guidance for rapid installation while maintaining the precision needed for proper fit and drainage alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular shower pan includes at least four polygon panels adapted to interlock in side by side relation to form a body. Each panel has a planar bottom surface and a top surface that is sloped based upon a pre-selected drain position on the body.