Reversible low profile shower base

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a prefabricated shower base. The shower base has a funnelled floor with a drain recess located in it. The drain recess has a bottom wall disposed along a first plane. A perimeter wall surrounds the funnelled floor and has a top perimeter wall surface disposed along a second plane, which defines a shower base threshold. The perimeter wall has a bottom perimeter wall surface disposed along a third plane. The first plane is located below the third plane.

1 . A prefabricated shower base, comprising:
 a funnelled floor having a drain recess located therein, the drain recess having a bottom wall disposed along a first plane; and   a perimeter wall surrounding the funnelled floor and having a top perimeter wall surface disposed along a second plane defining a shower base threshold, the perimeter wall having a bottom perimeter wall surface disposed along a third plane, the first plane being located below the third plane.   
     
     
         2 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , in which the first, second and third planes are horizontally disposed. 
     
     
         3 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , in which the first and second planes are angled from about 1 degree to about 5 degrees with respect to the third plane. 
     
     
         4 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , is configured to be mounted on a top surface of a plurality of floor joists. 
     
     
         5 . The shower base, according to  claim 4 , in which the drain recess is receivable between two adjacent floor joists and extends below the top surface of the adjacent floor joists when the shower base is mounted on the top surface of the plurality of floor joists. 
     
     
         6 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , in which the second plane and the third plane are separated by a first distance, the first distance corresponding to a thickness of a room floor mounted on the top surface of the floor joists, adjacent to the shower base. 
     
     
         7 . The shower base, according to  claim 6 , in which the room floor comprises a subfloor and a floor covering. 
     
     
         8 . The shower base, according to  claim 7 , in which the subfloor and the floor covering have a combined thickness from about ½ inches to about 2 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The shower base, according to  claim 8 , in which the combined thickness of the subfloor and the floor covering ranges from about ¾ inches to about 1½ inches. 
     
     
         10 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , in which the top perimeter wall surface and the bottom perimeter wall surface are disposed substantially parallel to each other, the top perimeter wall surface and the bottom perimeter wall surface being sufficiently spaced apart to permit location of the shower base in a cavity located in a planar room floor so that the top perimeter wall surface is flush with the planar room floor. 
     
     
         11 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , is configured to be mounted on a subfloor. 
     
     
         12 . The shower base, according to  claim 11 , in which the subfloor is a wood subfloor or a concrete subfloor. 
     
     
         13 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , is configured to be mounted on a floor covering. 
     
     
         14 . The shower base, according to  claim 13 , in which the floor covering is a tile floor, a vinyl floor or a wood floor. 
     
     
         15 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , in which the second plane and the third plane are separated by a second distance. 
     
     
         16 . The shower base, according to  claim 15 , in which the second distance is about one inch. 
     
     
         17 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , in which the funnelled floor has a slope ranging from about 1 degree to about 3 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The shower base, according to  claim 1 , includes, at least one longitudinal slot located in the top perimeter wall surface for receiving a mounting structure therein. 
     
     
         19 . The shower base, according to  claim 18 , in which the mounting structure is selected from the group consisting of: a tiling flange, a glass mounting channel and a slot cover. 
     
     
         20 . A prefabricated shower base, comprising:
 a floor; and   a perimeter wall surrounding the floor, and having a top perimeter wall surface and at least two holding portions located in the top perimeter wall surface, each holding portion being configured to hold a mounting structure.   
     
     
         21 . The shower base, according to  claim 20 , in which the holding portions are longitudinal slots. 
     
     
         22 . The shower base, according to  claim 20 , in which the mounting structure is selected from the group consisting of: a tiling flange, a glass mounting channel and a slot cover. 
     
     
         23 . A shower base assembly comprising:
 a shower base for mounting adjacent a room wall, the shower base including a floor, a perimeter wall surrounding the floor and having a top perimeter wall surface, and first and second holding portions located in the top perimeter wall surface, each holding portion being configured to hold a mounting structure; and   first and second interchangeable mounting structures, each mounting structure being configured to engage one of the first and second holding portions.   
     
     
         24 . The shower base, according to  claim 23 , further includes third and fourth holding portions. 
     
     
         25 . The shower base, according to  claim 23 , in which the first and second holding portions are first and second longitudinal slots. 
     
     
         26 . The shower base, according to  claim 25 , in which the first mounting structure is a tiling flange including a tiling portion adapted to be secured to the room wall, and a slot engaging portion for engaging one of the first and second longitudinal slots. 
     
     
         27 . The shower base, according to  claim 26 , in which the slot engaging portion of the tiling flange further includes a plurality of barbs. 
     
     
         28 . The shower base, according to  claim 26 , in which the tiling flange further includes a connecting portion extending between the tiling portion and the slot engaging portion, perpendicularly to the tiling portion. 
     
     
         29 . The shower base, according to  claim 28 , in which the tiling portion is disposed generally parallel to the top perimeter wall surface and is spaced therefrom by a third distance when the tiling flange is received in one of the first and second longitudinal slots. 
     
     
         30 . The shower base, according to  claim 29 , in which the third distance is about one inch. 
     
     
         31 . The shower base, according to  claim 25 , in which the second mounting structure is a channel including a panel receiving portion having a pair of spaced apart side walls and a bottom wall defining a channel for receiving therein a panel, and a slot engaging portion for engaging one of the first and second longitudinal slots. 
     
     
         32 . The shower base, according to  claim 31 , in which the slot engaging portion of the channel further includes a plurality of barbs. 
     
     
         33 . The shower base, according to  claim 31 , in which the spaced apart side walls are spaced by a fourth distance. 
     
     
         34 . The shower base, according to  claim 33 , in which the fourth distance is about 2 inches. 
     
     
         35 . The shower base according to  claim 25 , in which the second mounting structure is a slot cover including a slot engaging portion for engaging one of the first and second longitudinal slots, and a covering portion extending perpendicularly with respect to the slot engaging portion and being sufficiently wide to cover the one of the first and second longitudinal slots. 
     
     
         36 . The shower base, according to  claim 35 , in which the slot engaging portion of the slot cover further includes a plurality of barbs. 
     
     
         37 . The shower base, according to  claim 25 , in which the second mounting structure includes a channel for engaging one of the first and second longitudinal slots and a slot cover for engaging the same longitudinal slot, adjacent the channel.