Underlay for tile floor of shower

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS One preferred embodiment of a segmented underlay in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS.
1, 4 and 5.
The underlay comprises four pieces 20 of planar, rigid material.
Each of the pieces 20 has first, second, third and fourth substantially straight sides 21, 22, 23 and 24, respectively, with each side having first and second ends.
The first and second sides 21 and 22 of each of the pieces 20 intersect each other at respective first ends thereof to form one corner of each piece 20, with the first and second sides 21 and 22 being oriented at substantially right angles with respect to each other.
The first ends of the third and fourth sides 23 and 24 of each of the pieces 20 intersect the respective second ends of the first and second sides 21 and 22 to form second and third corners of each piece 20.
The third and fourth sides 23 and 24 of each piece 20 are oriented at substantially right angles to respective first and second sides 21 and 22, with the third and fourth sides of the piece 20 extending toward a common point, which in the variant shown in FIG.
5 forms the fourth corner of the piece 20.
In the variant shown in FIGS.
1 and 4, the third and fourth sides 23 and 24 of each piece 20 of rigid, planar material are shorter than the first and second sides 21 and 22, such that the second ends of the third and fourth sides 23 and 24 do not intersect but instead are connected by an arcuate corner edge 26 which has the form of a circular arc whose center is at the common point.
Each of the piece 20 has a substantially uniform thickness along the first and second sides 21 and 22 thereof, with the thickness of the piece 20 decreasing substantially uniformly, as best shown in FIG.
4, along any radial direction from the first and second sides 21 and 22 toward the common point.
As illustrated in FIG.
1, the four pieces 20 are laid side-by-side in a circuitous fashion to cover a substantially rectangular area covering the sub-floor of the intended shower