Prefabricated Shower Bench Assembly for Warp-Free Tileable Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing prefabricated shower modules face issues with uneven cooling during manufacturing, leading to bowing and warping, which affects the pitch and water-tightness of the shower floor, and limited design options due to the need for specific molds for each size, restricting customization and increasing production costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of polyurethane reaction injection molding with support ribs and pitching ribs to ensure uniform cooling and integration of a modular curb system, allowing for customizable shower modules and benches with improved installation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional molding processes are used to manufacture prefabricated shower modules, then production can proceed with standard methods, but uneven cooling occurs leading to bowing and warping of the modules
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces support ribs and pitching ribs at specific locations within the shower module to create localized structural reinforcement. These ribs are positioned to counteract areas prone to bowing and warping during cooling, ensuring uniform flatness across the entire module surface while maintaining consistent cooling throughout the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The support ribs and pitching ribs are pre-integrated into the module design before the cooling process begins. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that as the material cools and contracts, the ribs provide predetermined support paths that guide uniform cooling and prevent deformation, eliminating bowing and warping before they can occur.
2Adaptability or versatility
If specific molds are used for each size of shower module, then customization is possible, but production time increases and costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal mold system that can produce multiple sizes and configurations of shower modules using a single base mold. By incorporating adjustable elements and modular components into the mold design, the same mold can be reconfigured to create different module dimensions, eliminating the need for separate dedicated molds for each size while maintaining full customization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shower module design is segmented into standardized components that can be assembled in various configurations. This segmentation allows a single mold to produce interchangeable parts that can be combined to create different final product sizes and styles, thereby increasing productivity while preserving design flexibility through modular assembly.
3Shape
If thick mortar layers are applied to form the shower floor, then a sloped surface can be created, but curing time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the floor shaping function from the mortar application process and integrates it directly into the molding process. The support ribs and pitching ribs are formed as integral parts of the module during manufacturing, creating the sloped surface geometry without requiring thick mortar layers. This eliminates the lengthy curing time associated with traditional mortar-based floor formation while maintaining the necessary drainage slope.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces production time, minimizes waste, and offers more design flexibility while maintaining the leak-proof integrity of the shower system, enhancing both installation speed and product quality.
Implementation Method 1
The use of polyurethane reaction injection molding with support ribs and pitching ribs to ensure uniform cooling
Data Source
AI summary
A method of installing a prefabricated tileable shower bench includes placing a seating member which defines at least one peripheral edge, and at least one sidewall depending downwardly therefrom, in a shower enclosure space. The sidewall has an upper edge and a lower edge, The upper edge is connected along a corresponding peripheral edge of the seating member, The lower edge terminates at a height above the ground which is the same as or slightly greater than the height of a corresponding sidewall of a prefabricated shower module. The lower edge of the downwardly depending sidewall is situated substantially in registry with an upper edge of the prefabricated shower module sidewall, which lies in a plane that is substantially contiguous with a plane formed by the downwardly depending sidewall of the bench. The combination provides a contiguous surface over which finishing material such as shower tile may be installed.