This invention is directed to an improved bathtub which includes an apron panel holding member located in a lip on the rim of the tub allowing an apron panel to be attached to either or both sides of the tub. Further, the tub is suspended from a supporting surface by one or more runners allowing the plumbing pipes associated with the tub to be located directly underneath a tub above a supporting surface.
With the advent of indoor plumbing, bathtubs were developed which included integrally formed drain holes allowing the tub to be conveniently drained. These tubs were generally supported on legs and were free-standing in their location. Further modifications of the tub yielded the built-in bathtub wherein the tub fit within a space or alcove within the bathroom. Because, however, the plumbing for draining the tub is located at one end or the other of the alcove it was necessary to supply both right and left hand tubs for proper location of the drain and the outwardly facing side in these built-in applications.
Generally most tubs are constructed of steel with enamel overlays. This resulted in a fixture which is quite heavy. With the recent boom in the mobile home market wherein weight is a factor to be considered in designing a mobile home, the use of extremely heavy fixtures is precluded. In a mobile home the plumbing cannot be located below the floor of the mobile home since this would place it on the bottom of the mobile home and therefore susceptible to road hazards when the mobile home is moved. This thus requires designers and builders of mobile homes to place the tub in a position in a mobile home dictated solely on where they can place the plumbing pipes and not dictated by design principles which allow for maximum utilization of living space and convenience of location of the tub for the owner of the mobile home.
Aside from the normal three-sided alcove placement of tubs many people prefer a sunken tub, a free-standing tub or possibly a tub only bordered against two or even just one wall. Each of these different locations of a tub presently require an individual tub which is solely designed only for that specific location, i.e., a sunken tub will be designed differently than a tub that is used against one wall, etc. This requires not only the manufacture of many different shapes and designs of tubs, but also requires a plumbing supply house to maintain a large inventory of diferent tubs each only utilizable in one particular construction. Because of the different shapes of these tubs shipping of these tubs is more costly because they cannot be orderly stacked and shipped within a small space but each almost requires its own separate packing container.
In view of the above discussion it is considered that there exists a need for an improved bathtub which can be utilized for a variety of installations including mobile home installations without regard to whether it will be placed against three walls, two walls, one wall, be a sunken tub or be a right or left handed tub. Further, there exists a need for a tub for mobile home installations which does not require the placement of a drain pipe below the structural support but which allows placement of the drain pipe between the structural support and the tub.