One-Piece Shower Pan With Concealed Tile Drain and Waterproof Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower pans face challenges in being easy to install and maintaining leak-proof integrity after installation, with existing solutions often requiring complex configurations and visible drainage openings.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece shower pan fabricated using extruded polystyrene foam, shaped with a CNC router and encapsulated in a waterproof polyurethane or polyurea membrane, with a recessed drain covered by tiles to create a seamless water flow system, ensuring water tightness and visual concealment of the drainage opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional multi-piece shower pan assembly is used, then installation complexity increases and leak risk increases, but the structural integrity and water tightness can be maintained through multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (drain pan, curb, splash wall, and waterproofing membrane) into a single integrated one-piece molded structure. This eliminates the need for separate assembly and reduces potential leak paths between components while maintaining structural integrity and water tightness.
2Ease of operation
If a visible drainage opening is provided in the shower floor, then water drainage function is achieved, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the drainage opening within a recessed area of the shower floor, which is then covered by a tile or panel that is flush with the surrounding floor surface. This nested configuration allows water to drain through while concealing the opening from view, maintaining aesthetic appearance.
3Ease of manufacture
If extruded polystyrene foam is used as the base material, then ease of shaping and manufacturing is improved, but water absorption and structural strength may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses extruded polystyrene foam as the core structural material for its ease of shaping, then encapsulates it with a continuous waterproof membrane and integrates it with water-resistant materials like cultured marble or solid surface materials for the shower floor and walls. This composite structure combines the manufacturing advantages of foam with the water resistance of other materials.
4Reliability
If a waterproof membrane coating is applied to the entire assembly, then water tightness is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The waterproofing membrane is integrated directly into the molding process of the one-piece assembly, forming an inherent part of the structure rather than a separate application step. This integration maintains water tightness while simplifying the overall manufacturing process by eliminating separate waterproofing application steps.
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
The solution provides a simple, leak-proof, and visually appealing shower pan installation that maintains water tightness and structural integrity, allowing water to flow seamlessly through the tile edges and into the main drain without a visible opening.
Implementation Method 1
spraying the entire pan assembly with a polyurethane or polyurea coating to completely encapsulate the entire pan with a waterproof membrane
Implementation Method 2
gluing the foam to a pan base on the open sides. Splash walls are then cut from concrete wall board and glued to the sides having no curb, so that the glue serves as a bonding agent and provides a waterproof seal between the parts
Data Source
AI summary
A one piece shower drain pan, encapsulated in a water proof membrane, wherein one embodiment provides a one piece shower pan which includes a recessed drain portion supporting a square insert made of pvc or poly vinyl material which includes a plurality of drain channels extending from the outer edge of each wall of the insert into the recessed drain portion. The insert would be covered by tile members similar to the tiles of the shower floor, so to provide the visual effect of no drainage opening in the floor of the shower. There would be provided a perimeter water flow space between the side edges of the tiles covering the insert and the edges of the surrounding tiles, so that water flowing onto the floor of the shower would flow through the perimeter water flow space, through the drain channels and into the main drain.