Adaptable shower pan system

Abstract

An adaptable shower pan includes: a floor plate with a convex, or flat and level, upper surface; a bottom pan, including a bottom structure with a drainage aperture, and optionally an elongated drainage canal that leads from a drainage center to the drainage aperture; a plate support structure of support ribs; a side structure; and a front structure; such that a drainage gap forms on all sides of the floor, such that the bottom pan is watertight to allow water to drain omnidirectionally from all sides of the upper surface of the floor plate, via the drainage gap, to the drainage aperture.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adaptable shower pan system, comprising:
 a) a floor plate with a convex upper surface, such that the convex upper surface comprises a highest point within a central portion of the convex upper surface; and   b) a bottom pan, comprising:
 a bottom structure further comprising a drainage center and a drainage aperture, such that the bottom structure is configured to rest on a floor structure, wherein the bottom structure is configured with a structure surface that slopes toward the drainage center; and 
 a plate support structure, which is positioned on the structure surface of the bottom structure, such that the plate support structure comprises a plurality of flat upper contact surfaces, such that the floor plate is configured to rest stably on the plate support structure, such that the plate support structure is configured to allow water to drain from outer sides of the structure surface to the drainage center; 
   wherein the floor plate is smaller than the bottom pan, such that a drainage gap is formed on all sides of the floor plate;   such that the water drains from the convex upper surface of the floor plate, via the drainage gap, and the drainage center, to the drainage aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising a side structure, such that the side structure is connected around rear and side edges of the bottom pan to form a watertight assembly, wherein the side structure comprises:
 a) a left side member;   b) a rear side member, such that a left end of the rear side member is perpendicularly connected to a rear end of the left side member; and   c) a right side member, such that a rear end of the right side member is perpendicularly connected to a right end of the rear side member.   
     
     
         3 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a front structure, which is connected to a front side of the bottom pan;   such that the side and front structures are connected around an outer edge of the bottom pan to form a watertight assembly.   
     
     
         4 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 a) the left side member comprises:
 a first horizontal elongated piece; and 
 a first vertical elongated piece, which is perpendicularly connected to the first horizontal elongated piece, along a left edge of the first horizontal elongated piece; 
   b) the right side member comprises:
 a second horizontal elongated piece; and 
 a second vertical elongated piece, which is perpendicularly connected to the second horizontal elongated piece, along a right edge of the second horizontal elongated piece; and 
   c) the rear side member comprises:
 a third horizontal elongated piece; 
 a third vertical elongated piece, which is perpendicularly connected to the third horizontal elongated piece, along a rear edge of the third horizontal elongated piece. 
   
     
     
         5 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 a) the left side member further comprises:
 a first rectangular end piece, which is connected to first rear ends of the first horizontal and first vertical elongated pieces; and 
   b) the right side member further comprises:
 a second rectangular end piece, which is connected to second rear ends of the second horizontal and second vertical elongated pieces. 
   
     
     
         6 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 a) the left side member is a first one sheet piece, such that the first horizontal elongated piece comprises a first lateral cut and the first vertical elongated piece comprises a first lateral fold that is connected to the first lateral cut, such that a first rear end of the first vertical elongated piece is folded around the lateral fold, such that a rear flap of the first horizontal elongated piece is folded onto the first horizontal elongated piece, such that the rear end of the first vertical elongated piece forms the first rectangular end piece; and   b) the right side member is a second one sheet piece, such that the second horizontal elongated piece comprises a second lateral cut and the second vertical elongated piece comprises a second lateral fold that is connected to the second lateral cut, such that a second rear end of the second vertical elongated piece is folded around the second lateral fold, such that a second rear flap of the second horizontal elongated piece is folded onto the second horizontal elongated piece, such that the second rear end of the second vertical elongated piece forms the second rectangular end piece.   
     
     
         7 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure further comprises a plurality of support ribs, such that a height of each support rib increases from an outer end to an inner end, such that upper surfaces of the support ribs are flat and form a flat plane on which the floor plate is configured to be stably positioned. 
     
     
         8 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 7 , wherein each support rib in the plurality of support ribs is configured to point in a direction toward the drainage center of the bottom structure. 
     
     
         9 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 1 , further comprising a side structure, which is connected to wall sides of the bottom pan, such that the side structure is connected around rear and side edges of the bottom pan to form a watertight assembly, wherein the side structure comprises:
 a) a first side member; and   b) a second side member;   wherein the first and second side members are perpendicularly connected;   such that the adaptable shower pan system is configured for corner installation.   
     
     
         10 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 7 , wherein the bottom pan further comprises a plurality of support connectors, which are attached to top sides of the support ribs, such that each support connector provides a flat support area for the floor plate, such that each support connector comprises:
 a) a top support plate with a top surface that is configured to be the flat support area;   b) a first connector flange that is perpendicularly connected along a bottom of the top support plate; and   c) a second connector flange that is perpendicularly connected along a bottom of the top support plate;   wherein the first and second connector flanges are parallel and mounted side by side with an opening between the first and second connector flanges, such that the support connector is configured to slide firmly onto a support rib, with a part of a support rib inside the opening.   
     
     
         11 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 10 , wherein the support connectors are permanently adhered to a bottom of the floor plate with a predetermined position of the support connectors, such that the floor plate is removably positionable on the support ribs in a fixed position, such that there is a uniform drainage gap on all sides of the floor plate. 
     
     
         12 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom structure further comprises a flat central area, which is configured to allow a customized location of the drainage aperture, such that the drainage aperture is cut in the flat central area to match a specific location of a drain in the floor structure, whereby the adaptable shower pan system is configured to be adaptable to varying locations of the drain in the floor structure. 
     
     
         13 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 1 , wherein the convex upper surface is configured as a segment of a sphere. 
     
     
         14 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom structure further comprises:
 an elongated drainage canal, which extends from the drainage center of the bottom structure to the drainage aperture;   such that water flows from all sides of the floor plate, down the structure surface of the bottom structure to the drainage center, and via the drainage canal to the drainage aperture.   
     
     
         15 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 14 , wherein the bottom structure further comprises:
 a sealing plate;   wherein the elongated drainage canal is configured as a penetrating cutout, which penetrates through the bottom structure;   such that an initial portion of the penetrating cutout is closed with the sealing plate, which is glued to a bottom side of the bottom structure, such that the initial portion is sealed, such that a final portion of the penetrating cutout remains open to form the drainage aperture.   
     
     
         16 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 14 , wherein the elongated drainage canal is configured as an elongated indentation of the structure surface of the bottom structure, wherein a bottom of the elongated indentation comprises the drainage aperture. 
     
     
         17 . An adaptable shower pan system, comprising:
 a) a floor plate; and   b) a bottom pan, comprising:
 a bottom structure, further comprising an elongated drainage canal, which extends from a drainage center of the bottom structure to a drainage aperture; and 
 a plate support structure, which is positioned on a structure surface of the bottom structure, such that the plate support structure comprises a plurality of flat upper contact surfaces, such that the floor plate is configured to rest stably on the plate support structure, such that the plate support structure is configured to allow water to drain from outer sides of the structure surface to the drainage center; 
   wherein the floor plate is smaller than the bottom pan, such that a drainage gap is formed on all sides of the floor plate;   such that the water drains from an upper surface of the floor plate, via the drainage gap, down the structure surface to the drainage center, and via the drainage canal to the drainage aperture.   
     
     
         18 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 17 , wherein the upper surface is convex, such that the upper surface comprises a highest point within a central portion of the upper surface. 
     
     
         19 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 17 , wherein the bottom structure further comprises:
 a sealing plate;   wherein the elongated drainage canal is configured as a penetrating cutout, which penetrates through the bottom structure;   such that an initial portion of the penetrating cutout is closed with the sealing plate, which is glued to a bottom side of the bottom structure, such that the initial portion is sealed, such that a final portion of the penetrating cutout remains open to form the drainage aperture.   
     
     
         20 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 17 , wherein the elongated drainage canal is configured as an elongated indentation of the structure surface of the bottom structure, wherein a bottom of the elongated indentation comprises the drainage aperture. 
     
     
         21 . The adaptable shower pan system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a front structure, which is connected to a front side of the bottom pan; and   a side structure, which is connected to wall sides of the bottom pan to form a watertight assembly.