Bathing vessel having wall reinforcement panel
View Patent ↗A bathing vessel includes a base and at least one wall extending vertically from the base. The wall includes a multi-layer structure that includes a layer of acrylic material on a first layer of polyurethane material, a layer of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material between the layer of acrylic material and the first layer of polyurethane material, and a second layer of polyurethane material between the layer of ABS material and the first layer of polyurethane material. A wood-containing composite panel is chemically bonded to at least one of the first or second layers of polyurethane material.
1. A bathing vessel comprising:
a base and at least one wall extending vertically from the base, the wall comprising a multi-layer structure that includes a layer of acrylic material on a first layer of polyurethane material, a layer of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material between the layer of acrylic material and the first layer of polyurethane material, and a second layer of polyurethane material between the layer of ABS material and the first layer of polyurethane material; and
a wood-containing composite panel chemically bonded to at least one of the first layer of polyurethane material or the second layer of polyurethane material, wherein the wood-containing composite panel is encapsulated on all sides within the multi-layer structure.
2. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite panel is interposed between the first layer of polyurethane material and the second layer of polyurethane material.
3. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite panel is chemically bonded to the first layer of polyurethane material on a side of the first layer of polyurethane material that is opposite from the second layer of polyurethane material.
4. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite panel is a composite of wood particles and a polymeric resin.
5. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite panel includes phenol formaldehyde.
6. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wood-containing composite panel includes methyl diphenyl diisocyanate.
7. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 1 , further comprising at least one opening extending through the wall and the wood-containing composite panel.
8. The bathing vessel as recited in claim 7 , further comprising a fixture attached to the wall via the at least one opening.
9. A bathing vessel comprising:
a wall comprising a multi-layer structure of a layer of acrylic material arranged on a first layer of polyurethane material, a layer of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material between the layer of acrylic material and the first layer of polyurethane material, and a second layer of polyurethane material between the layer of ABS material and the first layer of polyurethane material;
a wood-containing composite panel chemically bonded to at least one of the first layer of polyurethane material and the second layer of polyurethane material, wherein the wood-containing composite panel is encapsulated on all sides within the multi-layer structure;
at least one opening extending through the wall and the wood-containing composite panel; and
a fixture attached to the wall via the at least one opening.