Method for bathing vessel having wood-containing base board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9648988-B2
Application number	US-201113883793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2011
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a bathing vessel includes forming a base by contacting an incompletely cured polyurethane material with a wood-containing composite panel. The polyurethane material is then cured while in contact with the wood-containing composite panel to chemically bond the polyurethane material with the panel. At least one wall is then attached to extend vertically from the base. The wall is a multi-layer structure of layers of acrylic material, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene material and the polyurethane material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a bathing vessel, the method comprising:
forming a base by contacting an incompletely cured polyurethane material with a wood-containing composite base board;
curing the polyurethane material while in contact with the wood-containing composite base board to chemically bond the polyurethane material with the wood-containing composite base board; and
attaching at least one wall to extend vertically from the base, wherein the at least one wall is a multi-layer structure of, in serial order, a first layer of polyurethane material, a second layer of polyurethane material in contact with the first layer of polyurethane material, a layer of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material in contact with the second layer of polyurethane material, and a layer of acrylic material in contact with the layer of ABS material.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , including spraying the incompletely cured polyurethane material onto the wood-containing composite base board.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , including applying pressure to the wood-containing composite base board and the incompletely cured polyurethane material until the polyurethane material is substantially cured.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite base board is a composite of wood particles and a polymeric resin.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite base board includes phenol formaldehyde.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite base board includes methyl diphenyl diisocyanate.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite base board is oriented strand board.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the incompletely cured polyurethane material is a two-part polyurethane mixture.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane material encapsulates at least 50% of the wood-containing composite base board.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bathing vessel is free of an adhesive layer to bond the wood-containing composite base board and polyurethane material together.

11. A bathing vessel comprising:
a base;
at least one wall extending vertically from the base, wherein the base includes a wood-containing composite base board that is chemically bonded to a polyurethane material, and the at least one wall is a multi-layer structure of, in serial order, a first layer of polyurethane material, a second layer of polyurethane material in contact with the first layer of polyurethane material, a layer of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material in contact with the second layer of polyurethane material, and a layer of acrylic material in contact with the layer of ABS material.

12. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 11 , wherein the wood-containing composite base board includes phenol formaldehyde.

13. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 11 , wherein the wood-containing composite base board includes methyl diphenyl diisocyanate.

14. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 11 , wherein the wood-containing composite base board is oriented strand board.

15. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 11 , wherein the polyurethane material encapsulates at least 50% of the surface area of the wood-containing composite base board.

16. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 11 , wherein the bathing vessel is free of an adhesive layer to bond the wood-containing composite base board and polyurethane material together.

17. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first layer of polyurethane material is a bottommost layer and the layer of acrylic material is a topmost layer.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a combined thickness of the layer of acrylic material and the layer of ABS material is between 0.01 inches and 0.3 inches.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first layer of polyurethane material or the second layer of polyurethane material is foamed.

20. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first layer of polyurethane material has a first density and the second layer of polyurethane material has a second density that is different than the first density.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the first density is greater than the second density.

22. The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the second polyurethane layer has a thickness, and a ratio of the thickness to the second density is between 80:1 and 1:1.

23. The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the first layer of polyurethane material has a first density and the second layer of polyurethane material has a second density, and the first density is 25-65 pounds per cubic foot and the second density 1-10 pounds per cubic foot.

Assignees

• Geels Michael Glenn
• Kapelanski Scott
• Delta Faucet Co

Inventors

• Geels Michael Glenn
• Kapelanski Scott

Classifications

• A47K3/16

  Devices for fastening baths to floors or walls; Adjustable bath feet {; Lining panels or attachments therefor} · CPC title

• A47K3/02

  Baths (combined with showers A47K3/20) · CPC title

• B05D3/12

  by mechanical means · CPC title

• A47K3/30

  Screens or {collapsible} cabinets {for showers or baths (A47K3/283 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title