The invention to which this application relates is apparatus known as a former tray assembly which is most commonly, although not necessary exclusively used to form a floor area of a shower and to include the same in connection with the assembly drainage system in order to allow liquid from the shower to be removed from the shower area.

In use, typically the former tray will be placed in position and secured to a support surface such as floor joists using a plurality of fixings, such as screws, which are located to pass through the former tray and into the support means. The drainage aperture in the former tray is then connected to drainage pipes via a drain gully so as to form a continuous path of drainage of liquid from the shower area. The drain gully can be provided as a separate component which may be attached to the former tray adjacent the drainage aperture or, in another embodiment, the drain gully can be formed integrally with the former tray.

In either embodiment, as access to the underside of the conventional one piece former tray is not possible once the former tray is in position, the connection of the drainage pipework to the gully typically requires the use of a portion of flexible piping which is of a sufficient length to extend to a length to a location away from the former tray at which access can be made to make the various connections prior to the former tray being moved into position on the joists and then, once the connections have been made the flexible portion of pipe is housed in a space between the base of the floor structure and the underside of the former tray. However, the provision of the flexible pipe in this space can mean that when the former tray is placed into position, the flexible pipe may lie at an angle so as to form a trap for drainage water and debris, thereby causing subsequent problems during use of the shower area and/ or connections between the pipe and the drain gully or other drainage components may become loose or separated, hence causing leakage. However, once the conventional former tray is secured in position, it is not possible to check on the condition of the drainage system under the former tray without significant and disruptive work having to be performed to subsequently remove the former tray and/ or the building structure under the former tray. It is also known in another type of former assembly to provide a circular plate in which the drainage aperture is formed and the circular plate, is, in turn, locatable in a circular aperture on the former tray. The purpose of this system is to allow the drainage aperture position to be selectable with respect to the remainder of the former tray which is fixed in position, by allowing the rotation of the plate to a desired position in the aperture and then securing the plate in that position. However, this system still has the problem in that in order to connect the drainage system and the pipe from the drain aperture on the underside of the former tray, the plate is required to be separated and lifted away from the former tray in order to allow the underside of the plate to be accessed to allow the drainage connections to be made and then the plate is located in position on the former tray and at which point it is again no longer possible to check on the condition of the drainage components and/ or the flexible pipe which underlie the former assembly.

Thus, in both embodiments, the same problem is faced and, when one considers that the upper surface of the former tray is typically used, once in position, to receive tiling, a waterproof covering or other top surface layer thereon and which forms the external surface of the shower area floor in use, it will be appreciated that any access to the underside of the former tray to correct and tested drainage connections done at the time of installation, is impossible to achieve without significant and expensive disruption to the former tray assembly and/ or fabric of the building as is subsequent access to allow the repair of any components on the underside of the former tray as the former tray has been secured in position and quite possibly sealed in position by an overlying covering.

The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a former tray assembly for a shower area which allows the particular location of one or more drainage apertures of the former tray assembly, to be selectively located with respect to the former tray and/or underlying joists or obstacles of the support to which the former tray is attached, so as to ease the installation of the drainage components. A further aim is to be able to allow for the testing of the fitment of the drainage system pipes, gully and aperture together at the time of installation and connection of the same, once the former tray has been placed in the required position for use. A further aim is to allow visual tests to be performed, for example, by the flushing of water from the former through the drain hole and the drainage system to ensure that no leakage occurs.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a former tray assembly including a former tray, said former tray provided for location on support means, said former tray including a first, upper face which assists in defining the shape of an area on which a user is located when showering, at least one drainage aperture through which liquid flows to move to the underside of the former tray and to a connected drainage system and wherein at least one access aperture is provided in the former tray to be selectively open during installation of the assembly and at least one plate is provided for selective positioning with respect to the said access aperture and complete the formation of the said first, upper, face of the former tray.

In one embodiment the drainage aperture is formed in a first plate which is selectively positioned with respect to an aperture or aperture portion provided in the former tray and a second plate is provided which is selectively positionable with respect to the former tray to close the access aperture.

Typically when said first and second plates are selectively positioned with the respective apertures or aperture portions in the former tray, a substantially continuous upper face of the former tray is formed with the exception of the at least one drainage aperture.

In one embodiment the upper face of the former tray and/ or first and/ or second plates are shaped so as to encourage the flow of liquid towards the said at least one drainage aperture.

In one embodiment, the selective positioning of the first plate with respect to the said aperture or aperture portion is such as to select one of at least two possible positions of the drainage aperture formed in the plate with respect to the former tray.

In one embodiment, the said first and second plates are formed and shaped such that the first plate is selected to be positioned in one of two apertures or one of two portions of the same aperture on the former tray and the second plate is placed in position in the other of the said two apertures or portions of the aperture.

In one embodiment, the second plate also includes a drainage aperture or, alternatively, the second plate has a continuous upper face so that when in position, it closes the said aperture or portion of the aperture in which the same is located.

In one embodiment, three plates are provided, a first plate having the drainage aperture and the second and/ or third plates may have drainage apertures or alternatively may have substantially continuous upper faces.

In one embodiment the first plate is a first, centrally located plate and the second and third plates lie to either side of the first place.

Typically in which ever embodiment, the first plate is placed in position in the aperture or portion of the aperture of the former tray and the other aperture or remaining portion of the aperture is open and used as an access aperture to the underside of the former tray so as to allow the installer to connect the drainage aperture in the first plate to the drain gully, if the drain gully is not provided as an integral part of the said plate, and/ or drainage pipes of the system located underneath the former tray and this can be done with the first plate in position on the former tray so that flexible or extendable piping is no longer required to be used. Furthermore one the installation has been performed the operation of the drainage system can be tested by pouring liquid through the drainage aperture and visually checking through the access aperture that there is no leakage underneath the former tray. Once this has been checked and approved, the second or further plates can be placed into position to thereby close the access aperture or aperture portion.

In one embodiment, both the first and second plates are provided of the same external shape and are provided to be selectively positioned in the portions of the aperture but at different portions thereon.

In one embodiment, the said aperture is provided with a bridging member which extends across at least part of the said aperture so as to define the portions of the aperture and provide a support for the plates when the same are selectively placed in the aperture portions.

In one embodiment, the first and second plates are provided to be received in first and second, spaced apart apertures in the former tray.

In which ever embodiment the plates may be shaped so as to be interchangeable with respect to the location of the same with the one or more apertures or aperture portions.

In one embodiment the one or more plates can be separate from the remainder of the former tray until the same are located in position with respect to the selected one or more apertures in the former tray. Alternatively the plates can be provided attached to the former tray such as by a pivot or hinge arrangement and are selectively moveable between a position in which the one or more apertures can be used as one or more access openings to the underside of the former tray, and a position in which the one or more access openings are closed by the one or more plates.

In one embodiment the connection of the plates with the former tray is by a hinge arrangement along at least part of one edge of the aperture and the plate to be moveable with respect thereto, a pivotable fixing means at one point, or by another suitable fixing means which allow the required movement between positions.

It should be appreciated that for initial installation no plates are located with the former tray and all apertures or aperture portions in the former tray can be used as access openings at least for part of the installation process.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a former tray, said tray having a first face and a second, opposing, face and at least one aperture which passes between the said first and second faces, said aperture provided for the selective reception of one or more plates which, when in position, substantially close the aperture and have a surface which lies substantially flush with the first face of the tray and at least one of the plates is provided to be positioned so as to substantially close a said aperture or portion of said aperture which is used by a person on the first surface to gain access to the said second opposing face and/ or a drainage system connected to the former tray when the former tray is in position on support means.

Typically the said first face is the upper face and the second face is the under face of the former tray when the tray is in position.

Typically at least one of the plates includes a drainage aperture and another of said plates, acts as the closing or masking plate.

In one embodiment a drain gulley is provided along with said drainage aperture and formed integrally with the said plate.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing a former tray assembly, said method comprising the steps of selecting a location and support means onto which the former tray of the assembly is to be positioned, selecting the orientation of the former tray, securing the former tray in the selected position on the support means, and wherein the method further includes using an aperture or a portion of an aperture in the former tray as a means of access to the underside of the former tray to allow connection of a drainage system with a drainage aperture provided in, or with, the former tray and, when said connection is completed and/ or tested, placing a plate into position with the former tray to close the said aperture or portion of said aperture and thereby complete the form of an upper face of the former tray assembly.

In one embodiment the drainage aperture is provided in a plate which is selectively positioned in an aperture in the former tray or a portion of an aperture in the former tray to position said drainage aperture for the connection to the drainage system and another aperture or another portion of the aperture is used as the access opening,

In one embodiment the said plate with the drainage aperture can be selectively positioned in at least two positions on the former tray to enable selection of the position of the drainage aperture at the time of installation.

In one embodiment, once the drainage aperture is connected to the drainage system the connection is tested by pouring liquid through the drainage aperture and visually checking through the access aperture or portion of an aperture that there is no leakage underneath the former tray, and if the test is successful, a plate is placed into position to thereby close the said access aperture or portion of an aperture.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figures la-c illustrate a former tray of the assembly in a first embodiment of the invention.

Figures 2a-h illustrate the further components of the assembly in accordance with one embodiment partial installation using the components of Figure 1.

Figures 3a-j illustrate a second embodiment of shower tray assembly utilising the same former tray as shown in Figures la-c;

Figure 4a-f illustrate a plate in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 illustrates the partially formed former assembly at the time of installation; and

Figures 6a-e illustrate further embodiments of a former assembly in accordance with the invention; and

Figures 7a-e illustrate plan views of the upper surface of further embodiments of former trays in accordance with the invention.

Referring firstly to Figures la-c, there is illustrated a former tray 4 for a former assembly 2 in accordance with the invention. The assembly includes the former tray 4, and in the embodiments shown in Figures 2a-h, 3a-j, 4a-f and 5, a first plate 6, a second plate 8 and a drainage aperture 12 and drain gully 10. In the embodiment shown in Figures 2a-h, the drain gulley 10 is formed as an integral part of the plate 6 while in the embodiment shown in Figures 3a-j the drain gully 10 is shown as a separate component to be attached to the plate 6 at the time of installation. However the principals of the invention apply to both embodiments. In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 2a-h, 3a- _] , 4a-f and 5 the former tray, 4, has apertures or aperture portions 14,16 provided therein to pass between first, upper face 20 and the underside face of the former tray 4. In one embodiment the apertures are separately and independently positioned on the former tray or in another embodiment one aperture is separated into two portions by a bridging support member 18 which is offset to the upper face 20 of the tray 4. In whichever embodiment when the plates 6, 8 are located in position in the apertures or portions 14, 16 of the tray the top face 22 of the plates are substantially flush with the upper face 20 of the tray 4.

The tray 4 is provided to be located on a support which may be formed by a number of joists of the floor of a building and the periphery of the tray is provided with a series of location means 24 in the form of apertures or“thinner” wall sections, for the reception therethrough of securing means so as to allow the tray to be secured in the required position. It will be seen that the apertures 14, 16 in the former tray 4 are offset from the centre axis 26 of the tray and therefore the orientation of the tray with regard to the support, can be selected in at least two positions for a rectangular shape of former tray as shown or four positions if the tray is of a square shape. This allows a degree of variation in the position of the drainage aperture 12 to be achieved to ensure that the location of the drainage aperture can be selected so as to avoid any obstacles which may for example be the underlying joists.

With the former tray 4 having been positioned and secured, then, if necessary, the drain gully 10 can be located with the drainage aperture 12 in the first plate 6 and the first plate 6 can be selectively placed by the installer in one of the two apertures or portions 14, 16, as shown by arrow 30 in Figures 2a and 3a respectively to provide the former tray in the condition shown in Figure 5. It will be appreciated that the first and second plates are of the same shape so as to allow the position of the same to be interchangeable between the apertures or portions 14, 16 and therefore the plate 6 could equally be positioned in the aperture or portion 16 rather than the aperture or portion 14 as shown.

Thus, the particular location of the plates in the former tray 4 allows a further selective positioning of the drainage aperture 12 with respect to the former tray 4 and also with respect to obstacles such as joists which underlie the former tray 4. As shown in Figure 5 once the first plate 6 with drainage aperture is positioned in the aperture or aperture portion 14, access to the underside 32 of the former tray 4 is still possible through the aperture or portion 16 to allow a port 34 of the drain gully and aperture 10,12 at the underside 32 of the former tray 4, to be connected to a drainage pipe of a drainage system (not shown) in order to allow the drainage of liquid from the upper face 20, through the drain gully and aperture 10, 12 and to the drainage system. In accordance with the invention, because there is still the access aperture or portion 16 open, this is used as the means of access for the installer to allow them to achieve the connection of the drainage system to the port 34 and also means that because the access can be achieved with the former tray 4 in position, that solid rather than flexible hose connections can be used. This therefore avoids the possibility of traps for water waste being created and also, allows the possibility of undertaking tests once the connections have been made by flowing water through the same and visually ensuring by looking through the aperture 16 that there are no leaks between the connections and, as access can still be achieved through the aperture the visual test and check can be easily undertaken whereas conventionally it is not possible to do this.

Once the tests and installation are completed the second plate 8 is placed into position as indicated by arrow 38 to close the aperture 16 and hence complete the upper face 20 of the former tray 4 as shown for example in Figure 3b.

It should also be appreciated that although a particular shape of the plates and apertures is shown, other shapes of apertures and plates may be used to suit particular requirements.

Further embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to Figures 6a-c. In Figure 6a there is shown that both the first and second plates 6’, 8’ are provided with a drainage aperture 12 and integral gully to thereby provide a faster draining option. In Figure 6b there is illustrated another embodiment in which there is provided a first plate 6” with a drainage aperture 12 which is provided to be centrally located in the former tray aperture or apertures, with second and third plates 8”, 11 which are provided to be moved into position to close the access apertures once the installation has been completed. In Figure 6c the drainage aperture 12 is provided in the former tray in a fixed location and in which case only one plate 13 may be required to close off an aperture 42 in the former tray separate to, but typically adjacent the drainage aperture, so that the said aperture can be used as an access opening in the same manner as herein described and be closed by placement of plate 8 therein once the installation and testing of the drainage connections on the underside of the former tray has been completed. The plate 13, once the installation of the drainage system and testing of the same has been completed, is moved as indicated by arrow 40 to close the aperture 42 which had been used for accessing the drainage system installation.

In each of the embodiments of the former tray, the upper face 20 can include a series of flowlines 44 , examples of which are shown in Figure la which can be selectively positioned so as to encourage the flow of liquid from the periphery of the upper face 20 towards the drainage aperture 12 and both the plates 6,8 and former tray 4 can be sloped downwardly towards the drainage aperture 12 to further encourage the flow of liquid. The Figures also illustrate the provision of a skirt portion 46 around the periphery of the aperture or apertures and the skirt portion is typically offset from the upper face 20 so that when the plates 6,8 are placed in position on the former tray then the upper face of the plates lie substantially flush with the upper face 20 of the shower former assembly.

In Figures 6d and e there is illustrated a plan view and sectional elevation along line A- A of a former tray assembly in accordance with one embodiment which is partially formed. In this embodiment the former tray 4 includes an aperture 14 which is provided with a first portion 50 and a second portion 52 with the portions defined as lying to either side of an offset support member 54 of the former tray 4. The portion 50 already has a plate 6 including a drainage aperture 12 in position and the other portion 16 remains open in order to act as an access opening during installation in the manner previously described. It is again shown how the periphery of the plate 6 is retained in position by location on a skirt 46 provided as part of the former tray 4 and around the edge of the portion 50 and this also extends around the portion 52 to provide support for the second plate 8 when it is subsequently placed in position. The extent of the protrusion of the skirt into the aperture, may be selected with regard to the particular thickness, type and strength of the material used to form the shower tray and the plates and the level of support which is required for the same. The plate 6’, when in position, has an upper surface 56 which lies flush with the upper surface 20 so as to continue, as shown in Figure 6e, the slope of the upper surface 20 of the former tray towards the drainage aperture 12. When the drainage aperture has been connected to the drainage system and all other required actions on the underside of the former tray have been completed, the plate 8 is moved into position to close the aperture portion 52.

Figures 7a-e illustrate further embodiments of former trays 4 in accordance with the invention. In each of the Figures the upper surface 20 is provided with a series of sloping portions defined by drainage flowlines 44 which encourage the flow of liquid towards the apertures or aperture portions 14,16, one of which, in these embodiments will include a drainage aperture and through which the liquid will flow. It will be appreciated that the particular angle of the flowlines will be determined by the overall size and shape of the former tray and it will be seen from Figures 7a-e that a range of former trays 4 of different shapes can be provided so that any one can be selected so as to be best suited for installation in a space in a premises of particular dimensions.

In each embodiment of Figures 7a-e the portions will receive a plate 6, 8 located therein to complete the upper surface 20 of the former tray 4. In each case the former tray 4 has a series of thinner walled portions 60 which can be selectively used at the time of installation for the passage of securing means therethrough to secure the former tray to underlying support means such as floor joists of the building in which the same is being installed. Once installed the upper surface 20 of the former tray assembly can receive thereon a vinyl or tile covering which takes the form of the upper surface of the former tray and so that the top surface of the vinyl or tiles forms the external surface of the shower floor on which a person stands when having a shower.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, the installer can have a much greater degree of confidence that, once installed, the former tray assembly and the drainage system connected thereto, will have been correctly installed, will be leak free and will therefore be operable going forward without the need to either remove the former tray for repair work or, which is more commonly the case, require the ceiling of the floor below the former tray to be removed in order to gain access to repair the drainage system.