Waterproof Shower Base With Direct Drain Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Custom shower stalls often leak due to damage to the waterproof liner or membrane during installation, and connecting the shower drain to the house's plumbing is complicated, leading to costly and time-consuming repairs.
Innovation Solution
A custom or standard-sized shower base with a sloped EPS core, fiberglass mesh, and epoxy resin, featuring a vertically oriented flange for waterproofing and a direct connection to standard tile drains, allowing for easy installation and enhanced waterproofing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a waterproof liner or membrane is used in custom tiled shower stalls, then water leakage is prevented, but the liner can be damaged during installation causing leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The shower base is pre-formed with an integrated waterproof core made of waterproof board or plastic material before installation. This eliminates the need for separate waterproofing membranes that require careful installation, as the waterproofing function is already built into the base structure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproofing function is merged with the shower base structure by using a core made of inherently waterproof materials (waterproof board or plastic). This combines the structural support function and waterproofing function into a single integrated component, eliminating the separate membrane layer.
2Reliability
If specialized drain plumbing is used to connect custom shower drains to standard drainpipes, then proper drainage is achieved, but additional plumbing work and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shower base is designed with a universal drain opening that directly accommodates standard drainpipes. The base can connect to both standard and specialized drain systems through a simple flange interface, making the drainage connection straightforward and compatible with common plumbing configurations without requiring complex specialized plumbing.
Data Source
AI summary
A tile-ready shower basin, and methods of manufacturing and installing the same. A sloped structural core is provided having a topside and a bottom side. A first waterproof panel or coating is applied to the topside and a second waterproof panel or coating is applied to the bottom side. A thin fiberglass flange is provided about at least a portion of the perimeter of the core to create a lip. The basin further includes a first hole or recess formed into the basin, which does not extend through the basin, and a second hole, axially aligned with the first, which does extend through the basin, for directly receiving and coupling a drain therein.