DE20109001U1 - Floor construction for a wet room - Google Patents

Description

PATENT ATTORNEY Fasanenstr. 7

DR.-ING. WERNER LORENZ D-89522 Heidenheim

28.05.2001 Se/ul

File: MAI 5301GM/DE
Applicant:

Maier & Co.
Badenbergstrasse 36
89520 Heidenheim

Floor construction for a wet room

The invention relates to a floor construction for a wet room according to the type defined in the preamble of claim 1.

Floor constructions for wet rooms are well known from the general state of the art. The floors are usually made of steel, which may be coated with an enamel layer, stainless steel, plastic or are tiled.

In the area of these floors, the drains of the wet rooms, especially the shower cubicles or large

room showers, which are usually covered by a perforated metal grid or the like to prevent large objects from falling in or people from stepping in.

The basic problem with such wet rooms is that, depending on the amount of water that accumulates in the wet room, for example when showering or similar, the drain is often unable to absorb this amount of water, so that water backs up, which is mixed with dirt, hair and foam from the shower gels and shampoos used. The people who use the wet room therefore often find their feet standing in a collection of these contaminants or water that has not yet drained away. This can lead to a corresponding impairment from a hygiene point of view, cleaning the feet is made more difficult, and the appearance of athlete's foot or similar can be accelerated.

In addition, it is an unpleasant fact if one has to stand in dirt or dirty water that does not drain away immediately, especially when it comes to showers that are used by several people at the same time.

used for a long time, for example in sports facilities, swimming pools or the like.

Furthermore, if residues such as soap residue or the like do not drain away, the risk of slipping in the wet room can be increased considerably.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a floor construction for a wet room, in particular a shower cubicle, a large shower or the like, which ensures that the user of the wet room can be guaranteed a safe footing in an area which is free of dirty water, soap residue and the like.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the wet cell has at least one glass plate which is arranged above the floor and which takes up at least approximately the largest part of the surface of the floor of the wet cell.

The glass plate according to the invention thus provides the floor plate intended for the user of the wet room, on which he can stand. Because the glass plate

te takes up at least approximately the largest part of the floor of the wet room, it is ensured that the user has an at least approximately level floor that has no openings, bumps or the like that could represent a potential hazard. The water that accumulates in this area when using the wet room can flow through the remaining areas next to the glass plate, i.e. the joints or gaps, into the area below the glass plate, i.e. in the area of the actual floor of the wet room, and reach the sewer system through the drain arranged there in a known manner.

A decisive advantage for the user is that, by standing on the glass plate, he is unaffected by the process of the water actually flowing into the drain, since all dirt and residues can flow through the remaining gaps into the area below the glass plate and he is thus not left standing in this dirty water that may accumulate.

The glass plate or its surface facing the wet room is repeatedly washed over by water, so there is no standing water in this area, so that the formation of germs can be largely prevented, which has a beneficial effect on the hygiene of such an arrangement.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the glass plate is arranged on spacers so that a gap remains between the glass plate and the floor in the area of which the drain is arranged.

In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, the spacers are connected to the glass plate itself and are anchored in a non-slip manner to the floor of the wet room via their position-securing devices, for example suction elements or the like.

A very advantageous feature in this context is that the glass plates can also be subsequently attached to the floors of

• · ·♦♦

can be installed in existing wet rooms, making retrofitting easy.

The glass plate can also be easily removed from the actual wet room, which is very useful and inexpensive in terms of cleaning.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the glass plate has a non-slip surface.

This advantageously provides a very high level of safety when moving around within the wet room. The slip resistance of the floor achieved in this way is far higher than with conventional tiled wet rooms or with the usual enamelled floors of shower cubicles or the like.

The non-slip surface can be formed in a simple manner, for example by structuring and/or sandblasting the upper glass plate.

In order to achieve uniform illumination of the wet room, which is particularly advantageous in the dark, it can also be provided that lighting devices, such as waterproof spotlights, are arranged underneath the glass plate. Very beautiful or useful effects can be achieved in particular with colored decorations or color markings, which the glass plate can have according to a very advantageous development of the invention.

If, in a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the glass plate is formed by single-pane safety glass, this leads to an extremely stable and break-resistant glass plate as a whole, which is also suitable for higher loads and does not cause any difficulties during assembly.

In order to prevent glass splinters from breaking off from the glass plate made of single-pane safety glass, which may shatter under certain circumstances, it is preferable to cover it with a splinter protection film on the side facing away from the wet room.

so that any glass splinters that may arise are retained.

In order to simplify the installation of the glass panels on the floor of the wet room for the persons involved, it can also be provided that the glass panels are each made up of individual panels that are smaller in terms of their surface area.

In this embodiment, it is particularly advantageous if there are gaps between the individual smaller plates after they have been installed, as this leads to an even better drainage of the dirty water.

In order to prevent objects from falling into the above-mentioned gaps or people, especially children, from getting their fingers or the like between the gaps, cover elements can be provided which cover the gaps.

The cover elements, which in a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention consist of stainless steel

can be designed like a grid or in the form of a perforated sheet.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the cover elements are inserted or glued into grooves made laterally in the front sides of the glass plate, so that a uniform composite is created which in no way impairs the smooth, easy-to-clean surface of the glass plate.

In addition to the version made of single-pane safety glass described here, all versions with alternative glasses, such as float glass, laminated safety glass or corresponding combinations of the glasses mentioned, are of course also conceivable.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the remaining subclaims and from the exemplary embodiments presented below with reference to the drawing.

It shows:

Fig. 1 is a section through a first embodiment of the floor construction according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the floor construction according to the invention;

Fig. 3 shows a cross section through a cover element in an embodiment of the floor construction according to the invention; and

Fig. 4 shows a possible design of a colour decoration.

Fig. 1 shows a floor 1 of a wet room 2, not shown in its entirety. In the area of the floor 1, a drain 3 is provided, through which water accumulating in the wet room 2 can flow into the sewer system. The wet room 2 according to the invention should in particular be a shower, shower cubicle, large-area shower, steam shower, shower landscape or the like.

From a shower head 4, which is only shown in principle here, water reaches the area of the floor

1 of the wet room 2 when it is in use, for example when a person is taking a shower.

In the present case, the floor 1 has a recess 5 on which spacers 6 are arranged. A glass plate 8 is attached to the spacers 6 via two suction cups 7. This glass plate 8, as a central component of the floor construction, offers the user of the wet room 2 the actual standing surface. The glass plate 8 can be made as a single pane of single-pane safety glass, as shown here. In order to prevent glass splinters from reaching the area of the wet room if the glass plate 8 should splinter due to strong vibrations or the like, a glass plate 8 is attached to the wet room

2, a shatter protection film 9 is attached in a conventional manner to the side of the glass plate 8 facing away from it.

With regard to its use as a floor covering in a wet room 2, the surface facing the wet room is designed as a non-slip surface. The corresponding anti-slip properties can be achieved by structuring the corresponding surface of the glass plate 8.

This structuring can be applied in a conventional manner by screen printing or the like.

An alternative embodiment could be achieved by sandblasting the corresponding surface of the glass plate 8, which would also make this surface non-slip.

In addition, the glass plate 8 can be provided with a corresponding color decoration 16, which is shown in more detail in Fig. 4, or a color marking. This color marking can also be applied to the glass plate 8 in a manner known per se by screen printing, which is then optionally burned into the glass plate 8 in order to improve its durability.

It is particularly advantageous if this color marking and/or the color decoration 16 is applied to the side of the glass plate facing away from the wet room 2, so that any impairment caused by cleaning processes in the wet room 2 can be largely avoided.

It can be particularly advantageous if the colour decoration 16 or the colour marking has a corresponding

colored decorative film is applied, wherein it is very favorable if the splinter protection film 9 and the decorative film are designed as a single film, which in turn are arranged in a particularly favorable manner on the side of the glass plate 8 facing away from the wet cell 2.

The optimal functioning of a wet room 2 with such a glass plate 8 in the area of the floor 1 is that water coming from the shower head 4 can flow through gaps 10, which form next to the glass plate 8 or, if several glass plates 8 are used, also between the glass plates 8, since these only take up at least approximately the largest part of the floor area, but not the entire floor area of the wet room 2. Larger amounts of dirty water, soap and shampoo residues, hair and the like therefore first collect in the area of the recess 5, i.e. in the space between the glass plate 8 and the actual floor 1 of the wet room 2. A comparatively large amount of waste water can collect in this space before it can be absorbed by the drain 3, without the user of the wet room 2 being affected by this waste water.

The user of the wet room 2, on the other hand, will stand on the glass plate 8 in the comparatively clean area and will not be affected in any way by the dirty water that collects.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the glass plate 8 can be relatively easily removed from the spacers 6 provided with the corresponding suction cups 7 for securing the position of the glass plate 8, so that cleaning of the recesses 5 from time to time is also possible without any problem. Otherwise, the wet cell 2 with the glass plate 8 is easy to maintain in the area of its floor construction, since the glass creates a flat surface unaffected by recesses, which is very easy to clean.

An alternative embodiment is shown in Fig. 2. Here too, the base 1 has a recess 5 on which the spacers 6 rest in the case shown. The spacers 6 are firmly connected to the glass plate 8, which in the present case consists of two panes 8a, 8b of a single-pane safety glass, and each is provided with a thread 11 into which a through hole 12

screw 13 guided in the two discs 8a, 8b engages. The thread 11, the through hole 12 and the screw 13 thus form a screw connection.

Between the screw 13, which in this case is made of stainless steel, and the disks 8a, 8b there is a sealing disk 14, which is intended to prevent water from penetrating between the disks 8a, 8b. Likewise, a sealing disk 15 is arranged between the spacer 6 and the lower disk 8b, which serves the same purpose as the sealing disk 14. Furthermore, the sealing disk 15 also serves as an elastic support for the glass plate 8, thereby reducing the risk of the same breaking.

As already mentioned, between the two panes 8a and 8b there is the colour marking or colour decoration 16 which is only visible in the top view according to Fig. 4. For example, the colour marking can be provided as a decorative element.

The colour marking and/or the colour decoration 16 is formed by a screen print, which in the present case is burned into the underside of the upper pane 8a.

In addition to the colour decoration 16, the shatter protection film 9, which may also carry the colour decoration, is also inserted between the two panes 8a, 8b, so that a two-pane safety laminated glass is created.

The spacers 6 can be securely fastened in their position on the floor 1 of the wet room 2 and either engage in grooves or the like provided or the corresponding suction cups 7 are used again, as already known from Fig. 1.

Basically, it is of course also possible for the spacers 6, as in the example according to Fig. 1, to be firmly connected to the floor 1 of the wet room 2, while the glass plate 8 is connected to these spacers 6 via the now known screws. However, with regard to cleaning, retrofitting and the like, this type of fastening is of secondary importance.

In the embodiment of the wet room 2 according to Fig. 2, a number of steam outlet nozzles 17 are additionally arranged below the glass plate 8 in the recess 5 of the floor 1, of which only one is shown. The steam outlet nozzles 17 could also be arranged in a vertical wall 18 of the recess 5 of the floor 1. The steam outlet nozzles 17 are concealed from the wet room 2 by the glass plate 8 and are thus protected from dirt. They enable steam to flow out into the wet room 2. This can be particularly useful if the floor construction with the glass plate 8 is intended as the floor construction of a steam shower, where in addition to the water from the shower head 4, steam is also desired to flow into the room of the wet room 2. The arrangement of the steam nozzles, particularly in the area of the vertical wall 18 of the recess 5, allows the outflow of steam to be achieved very well without there being any risk of the steam coming directly onto the person using the wet room.

·

From Fig. 2 it can also be seen that the glass plate 8 is formed from individual plates 8' and 8" which are smaller in terms of their surface area. These individual plates 8', 8" can be of such a size that they can be easily transported during assembly. Accordingly, depending on the surface area of the floor 1, a certain number of individual plates 8', 8" is required. In order to improve the drainage of the water even further, further gaps 10 are formed between the individual plates 8' and 8" so that the water can pass through the gap 10 into the recess 5 and thus the drain 3, as indicated by the arrows.

In the embodiment of the wet room 2 according to Fig. 2, in addition to the steam outlet nozzles 17, several lighting fixtures 19 integrated into the floor 1 are also provided, which are also arranged below the glass plate 8. In connection with the film 9, which can be designed with a corresponding decoration, and of course also in connection with the color marking or the color decoration 16, the most varied lighting effects can be achieved in this way, such as a flat, diffuse light. In

{ &Ggr;·: &Pgr;

In this context, running lights, ticker tapes or light strips can also be used as lighting fixtures 19. The lighting fixtures 19 could of course also be additionally or alternatively mounted in the vertical wall 18 below the glass plate 8.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of cover elements 20 which are provided to secure the gap 10 between the glass plate 8 and the vertical wall 18 or between two plates 8', 8" so that no objects can fall into the recess 5 and in particular no persons, especially children, can reach the area of the gap 10 with their fingers, which could pose a risk of injury.

The cover elements 20 are designed as grid-like elements or as perforated sheets, which in the particularly favorable embodiment shown are inserted laterally in grooves 21, which can be located in the front side of the glass plate 8 or 8', 8" and the corresponding area of the vertical wall 18. The cover elements 20 can be at least

one side into the respective groove 21, so that a secure connection is created, which can be assembled and disassembled in the manner of a tongue and groove plate when using several plates 8', 8", so that the cleaning of the recess 5, as already mentioned above, is also possible without any problems.

By providing the groove 21 in the glass plate 8 or the corresponding area of the vertical wall 18, it is achieved that the surface of the glass plate 8 facing the wet cell 2 remains free of fastening elements and the like, so that it can be easily cleaned.

Fig. 4 shows a possible design of a color decoration 16, which is suitable, for example, for designing such panels 8', 8" with regard to the possible design of the wet room.

Claims (23)

1. Floor construction for a wet room, in particular a shower cubicle, with at least one drain arranged in the area of a floor, characterized in that the wet room ( 2 ) has at least one glass plate ( 8 ) which is arranged above the floor ( 1 ) and which takes up at least approximately the largest part of the surface of the floor ( 1 ) of the wet room ( 2 ). 2. Floor construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the glass plate ( 8 ) is arranged on spacers ( 6 ), so that an intermediate space (recess 5 ) is formed between the glass plate ( 8 ) and the floor ( 1 ), in the region of which the drain ( 3 ) is arranged. 3. Floor construction according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that gaps ( 10 ) are arranged between the glass plate ( 8 ) and adjacent floor areas and/or glass plates ( 8 ', 8 "), so that the intermediate space (recess 5 ) and the area arranged above the glass plate ( 8 ) have a connection. 4. Floor construction according to claim 3, characterized in that grid-like or perforated sheet-like cover elements ( 20 ) are arranged in the region of the gaps ( 10 ). 5. Floor construction according to claim 4, characterized in that the cover elements ( 20 ) are arranged at least on their side facing the glass plate ( 8 ) in a groove ( 21 ) made in the front side of the glass plate ( 8 ). 6. Floor construction according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the cover elements ( 20 ) consist of stainless steel. 7. Floor construction according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the glass plate ( 8 ) has at least one pane ( 8a , 8b ) of single-pane safety glass. 8. Floor construction according to claim 7, characterized in that the pane ( 8 a, 8 b) has a splinter protection film ( 9 ). 9. Floor construction according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the glass plate ( 8 ) has at least one color marking and/or a color decoration ( 16 ). 10. Floor construction according to claim 9, characterized in that the color marking and/or the color decoration ( 16 ) is formed by screen printing. 11. Floor construction according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the color marking and/or the color decoration ( 16 ) is burned into a pane ( 8a , 8b ) of the glass plate ( 8 ). 12. Floor construction according to claim 9, 10 or 11, characterized in that the color marking and/or the color decoration ( 16 ) is applied to the underside of the glass plate ( 8 ) or to the underside of the pane ( 8a ) of the glass plate ( 8 ) facing the area of the wet cell ( 2 ). 13. Floor construction according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the color marking and/or the color decoration ( 16 ) is designed as a decorative film. 14. Floor construction according to claim 13, characterized in that the decorative film is designed as a splinter protection film ( 9 ). 15. Floor construction according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the glass plate ( 8 ) has a non-slip surface on its side facing the wet cell ( 2 ). 16. Floor construction according to claim 15, characterized in that the non-slip surface is formed by a structuring of the glass plate ( 8 ). 17. Floor construction according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the non-slip surface is formed by sandblasting the glass plate ( 8 ). 18. Floor construction according to one of claims 2 to 17, characterized in that the glass plate ( 8 ) is detachably connected to the spacers ( 6 ) via devices securing its position 19. Floor construction according to one of claims 2 to 17, characterized in that the spacers ( 6 ) are firmly connected to the glass plate ( 8 ) and are detachably connected to the floor ( 1 ) via devices securing their position. 20. Floor construction according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the position-securing devices are designed as suction elements ( 7 ) made of an elastic material. 21. Floor construction according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the position-securing devices are designed as screw connections ( 9 , 10 , 11 ). 22. Floor construction according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that lighting bodies ( 19 ) are arranged below the glass plate ( 8 ). 23. Floor construction according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that steam outlet nozzles ( 17 ) are arranged below the glass plate ( 8 ).