US 11,877,704 B2
Retractable shower floor
Brian K. Pearson, Toccoa, GA (US)
Assigned to BRIAN K. PEARSON, LLC., Toccoa, GA (US)
Filed by Brian K. Pearson, LLC., Toccoa, GA (US)
Filed on Jul. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/813,030.
Application 17/813,030 is a continuation of application No. 17/805,393, filed on Jun. 3, 2022, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/218,755, filed on Jul. 6, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0010114 A1, Jan. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. A47K 3/07 (2006.01); A47K 3/14 (2006.01)
CPC A47K 3/07 (2013.01) [A47K 3/14 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A retractable shower floor system, comprising:
a bathtub;
a bathtub surround having at least two walls, one wall of the bathtub surround including an opening at or near a bottom of the one wall;
a pair of tracks that extend over two sides of the bathtub into the opening and behind the one wall;
a retractable shower floor that is convertible between an operating position in which the retractable shower floor is horizontal and a retracted position in which the retractable shower floor is vertical, the retractable shower floor comprising a plurality of elongated elements that move along and span across the pair of tracks;
a motor coupled to a drive mechanism that is configured to transfer motion of the motor to a looped drive belt spanning an upper pulley and a lower pulley, the retractable shower floor comprising an attachment to the looped drive belt, the attachment comprising a bar extending outwardly from the looped drive belt in a longitudinal direction and attached to the retractable shower floor at substantially a midpoint of a width of an upper one of the plurality of elongated elements, wherein motion of the looped drive belt in a first direction causes the retractable shower floor to retract toward the retracted position, and motion of the looped drive belt in a second direction causes the retractable shower floor to extend toward the operating position; and
wherein the retractable shower floor in the operating position spans across the bathtub and facilitates support of at least one person and drainage of water through the retractable shower floor and into the bathtub underneath, and the retractable shower floor in the retracted position facilitates unobstructed use of the bathtub.