Shower trim kit

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved shower trim kit including a non-metal escutcheon or pressure balancing valve handle as well as methods for installing the same. Disclosed is also an improved method for installing an escutcheon or pressure balancing valve handle as well as an improved method for producing an escutcheon.

1 . A shower trim kit for installation with a shower fixture comprising a substantially non-metal escutcheon.  
   
   
       2 . The shower trim kit of  claim 1  wherein said escutcheon is molded.  
   
   
       3 . The shower trim kit of  claim 1 , wherein said escutcheon is carved.  
   
   
       4 . The shower trim kit of  claim 1 , wherein said escutcheon comprises a material selected from the group consisting of acrylic, cement, ceramics, clay, elastomers, enamels, epoxies, foams, glasses, glass-ceramics, gravel, gypsum, marble, mortar, paper, recycled paper, plaster, plastics, polyacrylates, polycarbonates, polyester, polymers, polystyrene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, rubber, silicon rubber, silicon oxide, sponge, stone, styrofoam, terra cotta, rubber, wood, plywood and wood products.  
   
   
       5 . The shower trim kit of  claim 4 , wherein said escutcheon comprises at least two layers of material.  
   
   
       6 . The shower trim kit of  claim 1 , wherein said escutcheon is coated with a coating.  
   
   
       7 . The shower trim kit of  claim 6 , wherein said coating is selected from the group consisting of enamel, epoxy, glass, lacquer, paints, plastic, polymer, shellac, stains and water-resistant coatings.  
   
   
       8 . The shower trim kit of  claim 1 , wherein said escutcheon comprises a material having a property selected from the group consisting of fluorescence, phosphorescence and reflectivity.  
   
   
       9 . The shower trim kit of  claim 1 , wherein at least part of said escutcheon is transparent.  
   
   
       10 . The shower trim kit of  claim 9 , comprising at least two layers, wherein an upper of said at least two layers is transparent.  
   
   
       11 . The shower trim kit of  claim 9 , comprising at least one solid object suspended inside said transparent part of said escutcheon.  
   
   
       12 . The shower trim kit of  claim 11 , wherein said solid objects comprise solid objects selected from the group consisting of animal products, coral, feathers, insects, leather, shells, skeletons, spines, teeth, plant products, bark, fruit, leaves, pits, roots, twigs, sawdust, seeds, cloth, fabric, flakes, grains, gravel, metal, paper, particles, pebbles, sand, stones, strips and wires.  
   
   
       13 . The shower trim kit of  claim 11 , further comprising a switch embedded within said escutcheon.  
   
   
       14 . The shower trim kit of  claim 13 , further comprising a temperature sensor functionally associated with said switch wherein said switch is configured to toggle between an activated and deactivated state dependent on output from said temperature sensor.  
   
   
       15 . The shower trim kit of  claim 13 , further comprising a component functionally associated with said switch, said component selected from the group consisting of light emitting components, motion producing components and sound producing components.  
   
   
       16 . The shower trim kit of  claim 1  wherein the shower fixture is provided with at least one valve handle, further comprising at least one outer valve handle configured to fit over the at least one valve handle.  
   
   
       17 . The shower trim kit of  claim 16 , wherein said outer valve handle matches said escutcheon.  
   
   
       18 . A shower trim kit comprising an outer valve handle configured to fit over a valve handle of a pressure balancing valve.  
   
   
       19 . The shower trim kit of  claim 18 , wherein said outer valve handle comprises a material selected from the group selected from the group consisting of acrylic, cement, ceramics, clay, elastomers, enamels, epoxies, glasses, glass-ceramics, gravel, gypsum, marble, metals, mortar, paper, recycled paper, plaster, plastics, polyacrylates, polycarbonates, polyesters, polymers, polystyrenes, polyurethanes, polyvinyl chlorides, rubber, silicon rubber, silicon oxide, stone, terra cotta, rubber, wood, plywood and wood products.  
   
   
       20 . The shower trim kit of  claim 19 , where said outer valve handle comprises at least two layers of material.  
   
   
       21 . The shower trim kit of  claim 18 , where said outer valve handle is coated with a coating.  
   
   
       22 . The shower trim kit of  claim 21 , wherein said coating is selected from the group consisting of enamel, epoxy, glass, lacquer, paint, physical vapor deposit, plastic, polymer, powder coating, shellac, stain and water-resistant coatings.  
   
   
       23 . The shower trim kit of  claim 1   8  wherein said outer valve handle has a property selected from the group consisting of fluorescence, phosphorescence and reflectivity.  
   
   
       24 . The shower trim kit of  claim 18 , wherein at least part of said outer valve handle is transparent.  
   
   
       25 . The shower trim kit of  claim 24 , comprising at least two layers, wherein an upper of said at least two layers is transparent.  
   
   
       26 . The shower trim kit of  claim 24 , comprising solid objects suspended inside said transparent part of said outer valve handle.  
   
   
       27 . The shower trim kit of  claim 26 , wherein said solid objects comprise solid objects selected from the group consisting of animal products, coral, feathers, insects, leather, shells, skeletons, spines, teeth, plant products, bark, fruit, leaves, pits, roots, twigs, sawdust, seeds, cloth, fabric, flakes, grains, gravel, metal, paper, particles, pebbles, sand, stones, strips and wires.  
   
   
       28 . The shower trim kit of  claim 18 , wherein said outer valve handle includes a hollowed-out interior volume configured to receive said valve handle.  
   
   
       29 . The shower trim kit of  claim 28 , further comprising at least one compressible fixing component configured to apply a forcc on said valve handle and on a surface of said hollowed-out interior volume of said outer valve handle so as to fix said outer valve handle in place over said valve handle.  
   
   
       30 . The shower trim kit of  claim 29 , wherein said compressible fixing component is ring-shaped.  
   
   
       31 . The shower trim kit of  claim 30 , wherein an outer surface of said valve handle is provided with an annular slot configured to receive said ring-shaped compressible fixing component.  
   
   
       32 . The shower trim kit of  claim 30 , wherein said surface of said hollowed-out interior volume of said outer valve handle is provided with an annular slot configured to receive said ring-shaped compressible fixing component.  
   
   
       33 . The shower trim kit of  claim 18 , further comprising an escutcheon.  
   
   
       34 . The shower trim kit of  claim 33 , wherein said outer valve handle matches said escutcheon.  
   
   
       35 . A method of installing an escutcheon over a shower fixture located inside a wall, comprising: 
 a) providing a non-metal escutcheon having at least one hole therethrough, and    b) affixing said escutcheon in place so that a component of said shower fixture is accessible through said at least one hole.    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said affixing is performed by a method including applying a material selected from the group consisting of adhesives, adhesive tapes, caulks, polymerizable materials, sealants and silicon rubber so as to stick said escutcheon to the wall.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 35;  wherein said affixing includes: 
 c) prior to b, placing said escutcheon so that a part of the shower fixture protrudes through said hole; and    d) snugly placing an elastic holding member about said protruding part of the shower fixture so as to press said escutcheon in place against the wall.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said elastic holding member is ring-shaped.  
   
   
       39 . A method of installing an outer valve handle over a valve handle of a pressure balancing valve located inside a wall, comprising: 
 a) providing an outer valve handle configured to fit over the valve handle; and    b) placing said outer valve handle over the valve handle.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said placing said outer valve handle includes pushing said outer valve handle over the valve handle.  
   
   
       41 . A method of producing an escutcheon having a hole therethrough comprising: 
 a) providing a moldable precursor material;    b) placing said moldable precursor material in an escutcheon shaped mold;    c) fixing said moldable precursor material so as to fashion an incipient escutcheon; and    d) processing said incipient escutcheon so as to fashion the escutcheon.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said escutcheon shaped mold includes a feature corresponding to the hole.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said processing includes making the hole in said incipient escutcheon.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said making the hole is performed by a method including a method selected from the group consisting of boring, drilling and trephining.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said fixing comprises a method selected from the group consisting of heating said precursor material, cooling said precursor material, polymerizing said precursor material, cross-linking said precursor material, curing said precursor material, irradiating said precursor material, illuminating said precursor material, exposing said precursor material to a fixative and waiting a period of time.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said moldable precursor material is selected from the group consisting of polymerizable materials, powders, fluids, liquids foams and thermoplastic materials.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein said moldable precursor material includes a thermoplastic material at a plastic temperature and wherein said fixing comprises cooling said thermoplastic material.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein said moldable precursor material includes a polymerizable material and wherein said fixing comprises polymerizing said polymerizable material.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein said polymerizable material is selected from the group consisting of monomer solutions, crosslinkable polymers, vulcanizable polymers, polymerizable fluids and thermosetting resins.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said processing includes a method, selected from the group consisting of abrading, brushing, coating, coloring, lacquering, painting, polishing, sand blasting, sanding, shellacing, spraying, staining and varnishing.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising: 
 e) prior to c, adding an additional material to said moldable precursor material.    
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said additional material is selected from the group consisting of animal products, coral, feathers, insects, leather, shells, skeletons, spines, teeth, plant products, bark, fruit, leaves, pits, roots, twigs, sawdust, seeds, cloth, fabric, flakes, grains, gravel, metal, paper, particles, pebbles, sand, stones, strips and wires.