Low step shower unit and method

Abstract

A method of installing a low step entryway in a bathtub wall structure which comprises a front wall portion, a rear wall portion and an upper edge portion which together define an interior wall space. A portion of the front wall is cut away to form a cutout which is shaped in the form of the entryway which is being installed. After the open entryway is formed, a saddle structure is installed in the entryway. This saddle structure is shaped the same as the entryway opening which is being provided, and it comprises a lower middle portion forming a horizontal bottom wall, and two side saddle members extending upwardly extending components of alignment, with these providing side surfaces for the entryway.

1 . A method of installing a low step entryway in a bathtub wall structure which comprises a front wall portion and a rear wall portion and an upper edge wall portion which together define an interior wall space, with the method being characterized as being capable of installing the entryway in at least two different situations, namely a first situation where the front and rear wall portions are generally parallel with one another and spaced from one another at a substantially uniform width dimension and a second situation where at least one of the front and rear wall portions is shaped to have a contoured wall structure portion so that at least a portion of one of the front and rear wall portions is closer to or further from the other, said method comprising:
 a. ascertaining planned border locations of the entryway to be installed and cutting out a separate section of the bathtub to create a cutout region with cutout edges that comprise a lower and two side cutout edge portions that match the border locations of the entryway;   b. providing a saddle structure comprising the following:
 i. a lower central saddle section and left and right saddle sections connected to outer opposite end portions of the center saddle section and extending therefrom in a direction with a substantial upward direction component; 
 ii. each of said three saddle sections comprising a middle plate section, with the middle plate section of the middle saddle section providing an upwardly facing surface to provide a person with vertical support in the entryway and said left and right saddle sections arranged to provide left and right inwardly facing entryway side surfaces for the entryway; 
 iii. each of said three saddle sections also having front and rear flanges, each of which having a connecting edge portion connected to an adjacent edge portion of its related plate section and extending from its related plate section at approximately a right angle to its related plate section; 
   c. positioning the saddle structure over the cutout region in a manner that the flanges of the saddle sections at least partly overlap the perimeter locations of the cutout region and connecting the saddle structure to the bathtub wall structure to provide the entryway with the three middle plate sections forming the bottom and side surfaces of the entryway.   
   
   
       2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said planned border locations of the entryway are determined by providing a template having an edge portion or portions corresponding to the border location or locations and making a line location or locations on the bathtub where it is to be cut to create the cutout region. 
   
   
       3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said saddle structure is provided with its pair of flanges spaced sufficiently far apart so as to be as great as a width dimension of one of the bathtub walls in which the entryway is to be made. 
   
   
       4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the width dimension of the pair of flanges is no less than the width dimension of the front wall where the entryway is to be located. 
   
   
       5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the width dimension of the flanges of the saddle structure shall be at least as large as seven inches, and no greater than about eight inches. 
   
   
       6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the left and right saddle sections are positioned on opposite sides of the entryway, and each of these has a substantial upward alignment component, with either or both of these left and right saddle sections being be at a more horizontal position or a more vertical position. 
   
   
       7 . The method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein each of said left and right saddle sections is arranged to have an upward alignment component from about a right angle from horizontal and about one-half of a right angle from the horizontal. 
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein after the saddle structure is in place in the entryway, the next step is to place the left and right seat caps which are positioned at opposite sides of the entryway and being positioned to conceal upper end portions of the left and right saddle structure sections and also adjacent portions of the adjacent upper edge portions of the front wall, with the cap seats mounted in place. 
   
   
       9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said middle left and right saddle sections are formed as one unitary structure as the saddle structure. 
   
   
       10 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising providing a template tool to draw lines along the front wall along which cuts are to be made to create an open area, comprising two sections, namely a positioning section to raise or lower a tool, and a lower enclosing plate section which comprises front and rear plates with side and lower alignment edges which match the contours of the lower and side surfaces of the saddle contour, and positioning these to the proper elevation. 
   
   
       11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein prior to positioning and connecting the saddle structure in the operating location, positioning one or more reinforcing members in a wall interior to provide additional structural strength to said bathtub wall structure in the vicinity of one or more locations where a wall structure portion or portions has been removed. 
   
   
       12 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , including placing at least one reinforcing member at a location or adjacent to a location where one of the saddle sections is to be located. 
   
   
       13 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , including providing reinforcement at a location where an upper end portion of one of the right and left saddle sections is located. 
   
   
       14 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein with bathtub wall being in the second category, placing one wall portion spaced from a wall portion which it is facing so that there is a gap next to the wall portion, said method further comprising providing a reinforcing member that is sized to block said gap and inserting said reinforcing member in said gap and provide caulking as needed. 
   
   
       15 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , accomplishing different sizes of the entryway by providing a saddle structure of a larger size or a smaller size where with the middle saddle section being horizontally aligned at a base location, upper end portions of the left and right saddle sections being made to be located at a higher level for the larger entryway and at a lower level for a smaller entryway, while maintaining the middle saddle section parallel to a line between upper end portions of the left and right saddle sections and positioning the saddle structure at a higher or lower level so that the level of the support surface of the entryway is lower or higher, respectively. 
   
   
       16 . An apparatus which has been transformed into a low step shower unit, comprising:
 a. a bathtub structure having a front wall which has been modified so that the front wall has an entryway assembly in which the entryway is located;   b. said entryway assembly comprising:
 i. a lower central saddle section and left and right saddle sections connected to outer opposite end portions of the center saddle section and extending therefrom in a direction with a substantial upward direction component; 
 ii. each of said three saddle sections comprising a middle plate section, with the middle plate section of the middle saddle section providing an upwardly facing surface to provide a person with vertical support in the entryway and said left and right saddle sections arranged to provide left and right inwardly facing entryway side surfaces for the entryway; 
 iii. each of said three saddle sections also having front and rear flanges, each of which having a connecting edge portion connected to an adjacent edge portion of its related plate section and extending from its related plate section at approximately a right angle to its related plate section; 
   c. said saddle structure being positioned over the cutout region in a manner that the flanges of the saddle sections overlap at least partially the perimeter locations of the cutout region and connect the saddle structure to the bathtub wall structure to provide the entryway with the three middle plate sections forming the bottom and side surfaces of the entryway.