Systems for recessing subfloor structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional shower enclosures with raised thresholds pose barriers for individuals with mobility challenges and complicate the installation of curbless or barrier-free shower designs, as they require reconfiguring the subfloor to ensure the shower tray is level with the surrounding floor tiles.
Innovation Solution
A system of lengthwise-adjustable spanning braces and support brackets that allow for the recessed subfloor panel to be positioned at a lower elevation than the primary subfloor, enabling seamless installation of curbless shower trays while maintaining structural integrity and supporting loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a raised threshold (curb) is used to retain water in the shower, then water retention is improved, but accessibility for individuals with mobility challenges deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional raised curb structure from the shower enclosure, extracting the barrier element that impedes accessibility. Instead, a linear drain system is installed at floor level, allowing water to be channeled away without requiring a threshold, thus maintaining water retention while eliminating the accessibility obstacle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from vertical water containment (using a raised curb that creates height difference) to horizontal water management (using a linear drain that channels water across the floor plane). This dimensional shift allows water retention without creating vertical barriers, enabling barrier-free shower design.
2Ease of operation
If the subfloor is reconfigured to support a curbless shower tray at the same level as surrounding floor tiles, then accessibility is improved, but installation complexity and subfloor modification requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shower tray design incorporates an integrated slope toward the linear drain, allowing the tray itself to manage water flow without requiring external subfloor sloping. The tray's own structure provides the necessary gradient, eliminating the need for complex subfloor modifications while maintaining accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the water containment function from the structural subfloor, placing it instead in the shower tray design. The tray is divided into a containment area and a drainage area with built-in slope, allowing the subfloor to remain level and simple while the tray handles the complexity of water management.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the shower tray upper surface is positioned at the same level as surrounding floor tiles, then aesthetic appeal and open design are improved, but structural support requirements and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shower tray is designed to perform multiple functions: water containment, sloping drainage, and level surface provision all in one component. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate subfloor sloping work and simplifies installation, as the single tray unit provides both the aesthetic level surface and the functional drainage slope.
Solution Approach 2:
The necessary slope for water drainage is pre-formed in the shower tray during manufacturing, rather than requiring field installation of sloped subfloor. This preliminary action transfers the complexity from installation to manufacturing, making the installation process simpler while maintaining the desired level surface appearance.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for supporting a recessed subfloor panel in a lowered position relative to an adjacent, primary subfloor, the primary subfloor being supported from beneath by one or more floor supports. The method includes positioning a spanning brace between a pair of floor supports and adjusting a length of the spanning brace such that the spanning brace engages and is supported by lateral, vertical sides of the pair of floor supports. A recessed subfloor panel is supported atop the spanning brace, the recessed subfloor panel being supported at a lower elevation than an adjacent, primary subfloor.