FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This disclosure relates to hand washing stations such as sinks, and more specifically to sinks configured for a wall mount configuration, which may include multiple integrated functions, such as water dispensing, soap dispensing, and hand drying.
BACKGROUND
Numerous different types of sinks and other hand washing stations exist, including integrated sinks that include a water dispenser, a soap dispenser, and a hand dryer. Such sinks suffer from many problems and drawbacks, particularly when installed in public restrooms. For example, such sinks may present difficulties in installation and servicing. As another example, such sinks may be damaged by users attempting to sit or stand on various surfaces of the sink. As a further example, such sinks may lack sanitary surfaces on which users can place objects, which is particularly important in locations such as airports, train stations, shopping malls, etc., where users may be carrying bags, luggage, or other belongings.
The present disclosure is provided to address this need and other needs in existing sinks and other hand washing stations. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF SUMMARY
General aspects of the present disclosure relate to a hand washing station configured for attachment to a wall, which includes various features and components for compact and efficient installation. The hand washing station may be provided as an integrated sink and/or as a modular fixture in certain configurations.
Aspects of the disclosure relate to a hand washing station configured for mounting on a pony wall having a front surface and a top surface. The hand washing station includes a basin assembly that includes a basin having a drain, a rear wall extending upward at a rear of the basin and at least partially defining a rear of the basin, and a flange connected to a top of the rear wall and extending rearwardly from the rear wall, and a water dispenser having a spout connected to the basin assembly and configured for discharging water into the basin. The rear wall of the basin assembly is configured to be overlaid upon the pony wall, and a rear surface of the rear wall is configured to be connected to the front surface of the pony wall. The flange of the basin assembly is configured to be overlaid upon the top surface of the pony wall, and an underside of the flange is configured to be connected to the top surface of the pony wall, to mount the hand washing station on the pony wall.
According to one aspect, the basin assembly further includes a sloping surface extending from a front of the basin and sloping rearwardly and downwardly toward the drain, the sloping surface at least partially defining a bottom of the basin.
According to another aspect, the basin assembly further includes a shelf connected to a top of the basin at a front of the basin assembly and extending forward from the basin. In one aspect, the shelf is further connected to the top of the basin at opposed sides of the basin assembly and extends outward from the basin at the sides of the basin assembly.
According to a further aspect, the basin assembly further comprises a trough positioned at a bottom of the basin, which trough is recessed with respect to adjacent surfaces of the basin, and the drain is positioned within the trough. The rear wall extends downward into the trough in this configuration.
According to yet another aspect, the spout is fixed to the rear wall and extends forward from the rear wall and over the basin.
According to a still further aspect, the flange is a free flange connected to the basin assembly only along a single edge at the top of the rear wall.
Additional aspects of the disclosure relate to a hand washing station including a basin assembly including a basin having a drain and a rear wall located at a rear of the basin and extending upward from a bottom of the basin to a top of the basin, and a water dispenser having a water spout connected to the basin assembly and configured for discharging water into the basin. The water spout is fixed to the rear wall at a location below a top of the basin and between upper and lower ends of the rear wall, and the water spout extends forward from the rear wall and over the basin.
According to one aspect, the basin assembly further includes a sloping surface extending from a front of the basin and sloping rearwardly and downwardly toward the drain, the sloping surface at least partially defining a bottom of the basin.
According to another aspect, the basin assembly further includes a shelf connected to a top of the basin at a front of the basin assembly and extending forward from the basin. In one aspect, the shelf is further connected to the top of the basin at opposed sides of the basin assembly and extends outward from the basin at the sides of the basin assembly. In another aspect, the rear wall extends higher than the shelf, such that the upper end of the rear wall is located higher than the shelf, and the location at which the water spout is fixed to the rear wall is located higher than the shelf.
According to a further aspect, the basin assembly further includes a trough positioned at the bottom of the basin and at the rear of the basin adjacent to the rear wall, which trough is recessed with respect to adjacent surfaces of the basin. The drain is positioned within the trough, and the rear wall extends downward into the trough.
According to yet another aspect, the hand washing station also includes a soap dispenser having a soap spout configured for discharging soap, where the soap spout is fixed to the rear wall at a location below the top of the basin and between the upper and lower ends of the rear wall, and where the soap spout is positioned at a same height as the water spout and extends forward from the rear wall and over the basin. In one aspect, the hand washing station may further include an air output having an air spout configured for connection to a conduit extending from a hand dryer, such that the air output is configured to blow air from the hand dryer through the air spout into the basin. The air spout is fixed to the rear wall at a location below the top of the basin and between the upper and lower ends of the rear wall, and the air spout is positioned at the same height as the water spout and the soap spout and extends forward from the rear wall and over the basin, such that the air spout is configured to discharge the air directly into the basin. In an additional aspect, the water spout, the soap spout, and the air spout may all have substantially identical peripheral shapes.
Further aspects of the disclosure relate to a hand washing station including a basin assembly including a basin having a drain, a wall defining a portion of the basin, the wall having an inner side and an outer side, and a first wall hole and a second wall hole extending through the wall from the inner side to the outer side, with a spout fixed to the wall of the basin assembly and extending over the basin. The spout is configured for discharging a fluid into the basin, the fluid being selected from a group consisting of: water, soap, and air. The spout has a rear side confronting the outer side of the wall of the basin assembly, with a first spout hole and a second spout hole extending into the rear side of the spout. A fixed fastener having an enlarged head on the inner side of the wall extends through the first wall hole and into the first spout hole engages the spout in a fixed manner. A removable fastener extends through the second wall hole and received in the second spout hole to engage the spout, where the removable fastener forms a removable connection between the spout and the wall. The fixed fastener and the removable fastener affix the spout to the wall of the basin assembly.
According to one aspect, the removable fastener includes a stud received in the second spout hole and extending through the second wall hole, with a removable nut removably connected to the stud by a threaded connection on the inner side of the wall. In one aspect, the second spout hole and the removable fastener have complementary threading, and the removable fastener is threadably received in the second spout hole.
According to another aspect, the fixed fastener includes a rivet having a shaft extending from the enlarged head through the first wall hole and into the first spout hole, and a plurality of gripping fingers extending outward from the shaft to fixedly engage an interior surface of the first spout hole.
According to a further aspect, a reinforcing bracket is mounted on the inner surface of the wall and has a bracket hole therethrough. In this configuration, the enlarged head of the fixed fastener is received between the mounting bracket and the inner surface of the wall, and the removable fastener extends through the bracket hole.
According to yet another aspect, the spout is a water spout configured for discharging water into the basin, and the wall has a third wall hole and a fourth wall hole extending through the wall from the inner side to the outer side and spaced laterally from the first and second wall holes and/or the wall has the wall has a fifth wall hole and a sixth wall hole extending through the wall from the inner side to the outer side and spaced laterally from the first and second wall holes and spaced laterally from the third and fourth wall holes (if present). In one aspect, the station also includes a soap spout is fixed to the wall of the basin assembly aligned with the water spout and extending over the basin, where the soap spout is configured for discharging soap into the basin. In this configuration, the soap spout has a soap spout rear side confronting the outer side of the wall of the basin assembly, with a third spout hole and a fourth spout hole extending into the soap spout rear side. Additionally, in this configuration, a second fixed fastener having a second enlarged head on the inner side of the wall extends through the third wall hole and into the third spout hole to engage the soap spout in a fixed manner, and a second removable fastener extends through the fourth wall hole and is received in the fourth spout hole to engage the soap spout. The second removable fastener forms a removable connection between the soap spout and the wall, and the second fixed fastener and the second removable fastener affix the soap spout to the wall of the basin assembly. In another aspect, the station additionally or alternately includes an air spout fixed to the wall of the basin assembly and aligned with the water spout and the soap spout (if present) and extending over the basin, where the air spout is configured for discharging air into the basin. In this configuration, the air spout has an air spout rear side confronting the outer side of the wall of the basin assembly, with a fifth spout hole and a sixth spout hole extending into the air spout rear side. Additionally, in this configuration, a third fixed fastener having a third enlarged head on the inner side of the wall extends through the fifth wall hole and into the fifth spout hole to engage the air spout in a fixed manner, and a third removable fastener extends through the sixth wall hole and is received in the sixth spout hole to engage the air spout. The third removable fastener forms a removable connection between the air spout and the wall, and the third fixed fastener and the third removable fastener affix the air spout to the wall of the basin assembly.
Still further aspects of the disclosure relate to a method for installing a hand washing station on a wall surface, which includes mounting a basin assembly on the wall surface, the basin assembly including a basin having a drain, a rear wall located at a rear of the basin, the rear wall having an inner side facing the wall surface and an outer side facing the basin, and a first wall hole and a second wall hole extending through the wall from the inner side to the outer side. A fixed fastener is inserted through the first wall hole, such that the fixed fastener has an enlarged head on the inner side of the rear wall and extends through the first wall hole and inward from the outer side of the rear wall. A spout is then fixed to the rear wall of the basin assembly, such that the spout has a rear side confronting the outer side of the rear wall, and the spout extends over the basin. The spout has a first spout hole and a second spout hole extending into the rear side of the spout, and a stud is engaged with the spout and received in the second spout hole. Fixing the spout to the rear wall includes first pushing the spout into engagement with the fixed fastener, such that the fixed fastener is forced into the first spout hole to engage the spout in a fixed manner, and the engagement of the fixed fastener and the spout is sufficient to hold the spout in place on the rear wall. When the spout is pushed into engagement with the fixed fastener, the stud is pushed into and through the second wall hole. A nut is then connected to the stud inward of the inner side of the rear wall to secure the spout to the rear wall, such that the nut and the stud form a removable connection between the spout and the rear wall. A water supply is connected to the spout at the inner side of the wall to supply the spout with water to be discharged into the basin.
Other aspects of the disclosure relate to a drain adapter for use with a hand washing station including a basin assembly having a rear wall with a drain hole extending through the rear wall and a bottom wall located below the drain. The drain adapter includes a molded body configured for attachment to the rear wall of the basin assembly, such that the molded body is sealed around the drain, the molded body having an internal cavity configured to receive liquid exiting through the drain. The molded body is configured such that, when installed, a bottom surface of the molded body does not extend below an underside of the bottom wall of the basin assembly. A drain pipe connector is connected to the molded body in fluid communication with the internal cavity, where the drain pipe connector is configured for connection to a drain pipe to permit liquid entering the internal cavity to exit through the drain pipe. Aspects may relate to a hand washing station having such a drain adapter installed at the drain of the hand washing station.
According to one aspect, the drain adapter is configured for attachment to a basin assembly that has a trough forming a protrusion on the bottom wall of the basin assembly, and the bottom surface of the molded body is pointed to conform to a contour of the protrusion.
According to another aspect, the molded body is configured such that, when installed, the bottom surface of the molded body is flush with the underside of the bottom wall of the basin assembly.
According to a further aspect, the molded body is configured to be attached to the rear wall of the basin assembly using an adhesive.
Still other aspects of the disclosure may relate to a hand washing installation that includes a hand washing station as described herein mounted on a wall of a restroom or other facility. For example, the installation may use a hand washing station mounted on a pony wall as described herein, such that the rear surface of the rear wall is connected to the front surface of the pony wall by adhesive bonding. In this configuration, the flange of the basin assembly extends over the top surface of the pony wall, and the underside of the flange is connected to the top surface of the pony wall. The installation may further include a spacer connected to the top surface of the pony wall and extending from a rear end of the flange to a back of the pony wall, and a pony wall shelf overlaid upon the flange and the spacer to cover at least part of the flange and the spacer.
Other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To allow for a more full understanding of the present disclosure, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a hand washing station according to aspects of the disclosure, installed in a first wall configuration;
FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hand washing station of FIG. 1, with some wall components removed to show additional detail;
FIG. 4 is a bottom rear perspective view of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a magnified cross-section view of a portion of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a spout mounting assembly of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of a water spout of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a connection nut of the spout mounting assembly of FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a first step of a mounting method for mounting a spout of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second step of the mounting method for mounting the spout of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 11 is a cross-section view of a soap spout of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a mounting configuration for an air spout of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 13 is a bottom rear perspective view of a portion of the hand washing station and the first wall configuration of FIG. 1;
FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view of the hand washing station of FIG. 1, with some wall components and sink components removed to show internal detail of a sink mounting assembly;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a mounting bracket of the sink mounting assembly of FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a first step of a mounting method for mounting a sink of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a second step of the mounting method for mounting the sink of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a third step of the mounting method for mounting the sink of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a fourth step of the mounting method for mounting the sink of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 20 is a cross-section view of a soap supply of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 21 is a magnified cross-section view of a portion of the soap supply of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the sink of the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 23 is a cross-section view of one embodiment of a grate assembly usable with the hand washing station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 24 is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of a hand washing station according to aspects of the disclosure, installed in a second wall configuration;
FIG. 25 is a front perspective view of the hand washing station of FIG. 24;
FIG. 26 is a bottom front perspective view of the hand washing station of FIG. 25, shown with components removed to show internal detail;
FIG. 27 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a hand washing station according to aspects of the disclosure, shown as part of one embodiment of a modular restroom assembly;
FIG. 28 is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of a drain of a hand washing station according to aspects of the disclosure;
FIG. 29 is a rear view of the drain of FIG. 28; and
FIG. 30 is a cross-section view of the drain of FIG. 28.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail example embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. In the following description of various example structures according to the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example devices, systems, and environments in which aspects of the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts, example devices, systems, and environments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Referring to the figures, and initially to FIGS. 1-23, there is shown one embodiment of a hand washing station, identified by reference numeral 10. In various embodiments, the hand washing station 10 may include one or more of a basin assembly 11, a water dispenser assembly or water dispenser 30, a soap dispenser assembly or soap dispenser 40, a hand dryer assembly or hand dryer 60, and frame or mounting assembly 70 supporting the basin assembly 11, and a spout mounting assembly 80 supporting spouts 32, 43, 63 for the water dispenser 30, the soap dispenser 40, and/or the hand dryer 60. The station 10 may also include a computer system including one or more controllers or control units 110, 111, 112 that include various features for controlling and/or monitoring components of the station 10, including computer components such as one or more memories, processors, communications interfaces, inputs, outputs, etc. The hand washing station 10 in FIGS. 1-23 is provided as an integrated sink that includes all of these features. Various additional components and embodiments are described herein. The basin assembly 11 generally has a top 12, a bottom 13 opposite the top 12, a front 14, a rear 15 opposite the front 14, and opposed left and right sides 16, and includes a basin 35, a shelf 36 extending outward from the basin 35 along the front 14 and/or the sides 16 of the basin assembly 11, and an apron 34 depending from the shelf 36 along the front 14 and/or the sides 16 of the basin assembly 11. The rear 15 of the basin assembly 11 can be mounted to a wall surface in various wall configurations, and in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23, the hand washing station 10 is configured for mounting to a pony wall configuration with a chase. This wall configuration includes a main wall 100, a pony wall 101 in front of the main wall 100 and having a top surface 102, and a chase 103 located behind the main wall 100 to provide access to components of the hand washing station 10. A cavity 104 is defined within the pony wall 101 below the top surface 102 and is accessible through the main wall 100.
The following directions and orientations will be used in describing components of the hand washing station 10 herein, with the understanding that these directions and orientations are illustrative with to the drawing figures shown and do not limit the embodiments in any way. The “vertical” direction is a top-to-bottom direction extending parallel to the main wall 100 on which the hand washing station 10 is mounted and between the top 12 and the bottom 13 of the basin assembly 11. The “longitudinal” direction is a front-to-rear direction extending perpendicular to the main wall 100 and between the front 14 and the rear 15 of the basin assembly 11. The “lateral” direction is a side-to-side direction extending parallel to the main wall 100 and between the sides 16 of the basin.
The basin assembly 11 in FIGS. 1-23 has a plurality of sloped and contoured surfaces that define the shape of the basin assembly 11. It is noted that the term “sloped” as used herein does not itself imply that the respective surface is flat or planar, and a sloped surface may have a curved contour unless otherwise specified. The basin assembly 11 generally has a trough 90 that extends laterally across the basin and has a bottom 91 with various contours that slope downward toward the drain 17 or drains 17 in the basin assembly 11. For example, the basin assembly 11 of FIGS. 1-23 includes two drains 17, and the bottom 91 of the trough 90 slopes downwardly from the ends of the trough 90 toward the drains 17, then upward between the drains 17. In one embodiment, each section of the trough 90 has a generally flat bottom 91 that slopes at approximately a 4% angle. A front sloping surface 92 extends from the front 14 of the basin assembly 11 toward the trough 90 and slopes downward from the front 14 to the trough 90. A rear wall 93 extends upward at the rear 15 of the basin assembly 11, and the trough 90 is located between the sloping surface 92 and the rear wall 93. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23, the sloping surface 92 and the rear wall 93 are flat, planar surfaces that extend downward toward the trough 90 and extend to meet side walls 94 that also depend downward into the basin assembly 11. The rear wall 93 and the side walls 94 may be vertical or substantially vertical in one embodiment, or may have a downward slope in another embodiment, and the side walls 94 in FIGS. 1-23 are planar surfaces. The surfaces of the basin assembly 11 may also direct the flow of air leaving the air output 62 so that the air flows up the front sloping surface 92 and to one or more vents 95 at the front 14 of the basin assembly 11. This vent configuration may be provided as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0074899 A1, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The vent(s) 95 may run the entire width of the basin assembly 11 in one embodiment, or may run over only a portion of the width of the basin assembly 11 in another embodiment.
The basin assembly 11 may have a drain 17 for drainage of water from the basin assembly 11. A drain pipe 19 is connected to the drain 17 and extends through the cavity 104 and into the chase 103, and the drain pipe 19 may include a trap 18 as known in the art. The drain 17 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23 extends through the rear wall 93 of the basin assembly 11 within the trough 90, rather than through the bottom 91 of the trough 90. Additionally, the drain 17 may further have a grate assembly 96 as shown in FIG. 23, which is releasably fastened to cover the drain 17 to prevent tampering with the drain 17 or inserting objects into the drain 17. The grate assembly 96 includes a grate 97 that covers at least a portion of the trough 90 around the drain 17 and a moveable locking assembly 98 mounted on the grate 97. The grate 97 may be configured to permit passage of water while preventing passage of larger objects, such as by having small holes. The locking assembly 98 in FIG. 23 includes a pivoting arm 98A that rotates between a locked position, where the arm 98A is received in a slot 99 in the basin assembly 11 to retain the grate assembly 96 in position to cover the drain 17, and an unlocked position, where the arm 98A disengages from the slot 99 to permit removal of the grate assembly 96. The arm 98A in FIG. 23 may operate as a quarter-turn locking member. In one embodiment, the slot 99 may be an opening of the drain 17. The locking assembly 98 may be configured to receive a specialized key required to operate the locking assembly 98.
The water dispenser 30 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23 includes at least a water outlet 31 supported by a water spout 32 mounted on the basin assembly 11, and a water supply line or inlet conduit 33 connecting the water outlet 31 to a water supply that may include both a hot water line and a cold water line (not shown) in one embodiment. The water dispenser 30 may also have an actuator (not shown) configured to activate the water dispenser 30 to dispense water, such as by opening one or more valves. The water dispenser 30 may include manual and/or automatic actuators, and in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23, the actuator function of the water dispenser 30 is provided electronically by a water dispenser control unit 110. The water dispenser 30 may include one or more sensors to detect a user's hands, such as a time-of-flight (TOF) or other proximity sensor, and the water dispenser control unit 110 may receive input from such a sensor and actuate the water dispenser 30 accordingly. Examples of such sensors 113 are shown in connection with the soap dispenser 40 and the hand dryer 60 in FIGS. 11 and 12. In the case of a hand washing station 10 with multiple water outlets 31 such as shown in FIG. 1, the water dispenser may have different control units 110 or other actuators associated with each water outlet 31 individually or a single control unit 110 or other actuator associated with all water outlets 31. In another embodiment, the water dispenser 30 may further include a water heater for selectively heating water directed to one or more water outlets 31, and such a water heater may also be located in the cavity 104.
The water outlet 31 forms an outlet of the water dispenser 30 and directs water into the basin assembly 11 of the hand washing station 10 to wet the hands of a user. The water outlet 31 may include one or more nozzles in one embodiment that are configured to spray water downward into the basin assembly 11, although the water outlet 31 may take another form in other embodiments. The water outlet 31 is generally positioned above the basin assembly 11 and directed generally downward toward the basin assembly 11 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23.
The soap dispenser 40 generally includes a soap supply 41, a soap outlet 42, and a soap spout 43 supporting the soap outlet 42. The soap dispenser 40 may also include an actuator configured to be actuated by a user to cause the soap dispenser 40 to dispense soap. The soap dispenser 40 may include manual and/or automatic actuators, and in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23, the actuator function of the soap dispenser 40 is provided electronically by a soap control unit 111 that includes computer components as well as a soap pump (not shown). The actuator of the soap dispenser 40 may include components and functionality discussed herein with respect to the water dispenser 30. The soap outlet 42 and the soap spout 43 of the illustrated embodiment are shown in greater detail in FIG. 11, and the soap supply 41 in the illustrated embodiment is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 20 and 21. The soap outlet 42 includes a nozzle 44 that has a turn that is 90° or approximately 90°. The nozzle 44 is connected in communication with a soap conduit 45 that extends through the soap spout 43 and is directly connected to a soap engine 46 at the end of the soap conduit 45. The nozzle 44 in this configuration dispenses the soap directly downward.
The soap supply 41 in this embodiment is a soap reservoir in the form of a five-gallon bucket or other large capacity container. The soap conduit 45 includes a hose 47 connected to the soap control unit 111 that extends through a lid 48 of the soap supply 41 and extends into the soap supply 41. The hose 47 has an end piece or strainer 49 that includes a filter, which is positioned proximate to, but above the bottom of the soap supply 41. The lid 48 has a cap 50 that may be in the form of a quick-connect fitting, connecting to the lid 48 by a threaded connection and holding the hose 47 in place. This quick-connect cap 50 permits the soap supply 41 to be changed quickly and easily, by disconnecting the cap 50, removing the empty soap supply 41, and reconnecting the cap 50 to a new soap supply 41. An angled fitting 53 extends through the cap 50 and connects to the hose 47 to permit the hose 47 to extend through the cap 50. The angled fitting 53 may be at a 90° or approximately 90° angle in one embodiment, and is stiff and rotatable to permit rotation of the hose 47 and/or the soap supply 41 without twisting or kinking of the hose 47 or the inlet hose 55 connected to the angled fitting 53. A shroud 51 is connected to the bottom of the lid 48 in this embodiment, which may be in the form of a length of rigid pipe (e.g., PVC). The soap supply 41 also includes a fitting 54 connected to the lid 48 and extending through the lid 48, which is engaged with and supports the shroud 51 and also is threaded for connection to the cap 50. The hose 47 extends downward through the shroud 51, and the end piece 49 is held within the shroud 51 by a rubber grommet 52 or other retainer. The bottom end of the shroud 51 is located just above the bottom of the soap supply 41 (e.g., 0.5 inch), and the grommet 52 holds the end piece 49 just above the bottom of the shroud 51 to be in communication with the soap within the soap supply 41 until the soap supply 41 is nearly empty. This configuration of the shroud 51 and the end piece 49 helps to protect the hose 47 and the end piece 49 and prevent coagulated soap from entering the hose 47.
The hand dryer 60 generally includes a blower motor 61 configured to heat air and force the heated air to an air output 62 through a conduit (not shown) that extends between the blower motor 61 and the air output 62. The motor 61 may have a heater element (not shown) to heat the air. The air output 62 is supported by an air spout 63 positioned above the basin assembly 11 and is directed downward into the basin assembly 11 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23. The basin assembly 11 may have contours and surfaces configured to deflect and/or direct the airflow of the hand dryer 60 away from the user. The hand dryer 60 also includes a stem 64 connected to the air spout 63 and in communication with the air output 62, which is configured for connection to the conduit extending from the blower motor 61. In other embodiments, the hand washing station 10 may include multiple hand dryers 60 that may include multiple air outputs 62 and one or more blower motors 61. The hand dryer 60 may further include an actuator (not shown) configured to be actuated by a user to cause the hand dryer 60 to blow air from the air output 62. The hand dryer 60 may include manual and/or automatic actuators, and in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23, the actuator function of the hand dryer 60 is provided electronically by a dryer control unit 112 that includes computer components and may be integrated into the blower motor 61. The actuator of the hand dryer 60 may include components and functionality discussed herein with respect to the water dispenser 30.
The mounting assembly 70 supporting the basin assembly 11 includes one or more internal supports that engage the pony wall 101 and support the basin assembly 11 from below, including mounting brackets 71 and end brackets 72, as shown in FIGS. 14-17. The end brackets 72 are fastened to the pony wall 101, such as by fasteners and/or adhesive, at the ends of the basin assembly 11, and one or more mounting brackets 71 are located between the end brackets 72 to support the center portions of the basin assembly 11. In the embodiment illustrated, the mounting assembly 70 includes two mounting brackets 71 between the end brackets 72. The end brackets 72 are gusseted arms extending longitudinally out from the pony wall 101 in this embodiment, and are mounted between the basin assembly 11 and the apron 34. The mounting brackets 71 are gusseted arms that extend longitudinally outward and upward at a sloped angle from the pony wall 101. Each mounting bracket 71 has a notch 73 on the top surface that receives a protrusion 74 formed by the underside of the trough 90 on the underside of the basin assembly 11. The protrusion 74 has different depths at different locations, due to the sloped contours of the trough 90. The notch 73 in this embodiment has a depth sufficient to permit the mounting bracket 71 to accommodate the protrusion 74 while positioned at nearly any location along the lateral width of the basin assembly 11. In the embodiment shown, the mounting bracket 71 cannot be placed directly under the drain 17 due to the dimensions of the drain 17, but in other embodiments, the degree of recession of the drain 17 and/or the depth of the notch 73 may be modified to permit this mounting as well. The sloped mounting brackets 71 extend along the underside of the sloping surface 92 of the basin assembly 11 and thereby support the basin assembly 11. Each mounting bracket 71 also has an upwardly-extending projection 75 that extends into the underside of the front 14 of the basin assembly 11 behind the apron 34, as shown in FIG. 2. Each projection 75 may have a plate 75A at the end thereof, for supporting and/or connecting to the underside of the basin assembly 11, as shown in FIG. 17. The mounting assembly 70 also includes panels 76 covering the underside of the basin assembly 11, as well as the mounting brackets 71 and the end brackets 72. The geometries of the mounting bracket(s) 71 and the end brackets 72 are configured to support the basin assembly 11 in a configuration that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to permit case of use of the hand washing station 10.
FIGS. 28-30 illustrate one embodiment of a drain 17 configuration that permits use of the mounting bracket 71 directly under the drain 17. The hand washing station 10 in this embodiment has a drain adapter 59 having a body 59A, which may be molded from solid surface material, attached (e.g., via adhesive) to the rear of the rear wall 93 of the basin assembly 11 at the location of the drain 17. The drain adapter 59 is sealed around the drain and generally includes an internal cavity 59B in communication with the drain 17 to receive liquid from the drain 17, as well as a drain pipe connection 59C in communication with the cavity 59B. The drain adapter 59 is configured for connection to the drain pipe 19 (not shown in FIGS. 28-30) via the drain pipe connection 59C. In one embodiment, the drain adapter 59 is connected to the basin assembly 11 at a location such that the bottom surface of the body 59A does not extend below an underside of the bottom wall of the basin assembly, e.g., below the bottom of the protrusion 74 in the embodiment of FIGS. 28-30. As shown in FIG. 29, the bottom surface of the body 59A of the drain adapter 59 in this embodiment is flush with the bottom of the protrusion 74 formed by the trough 90 or otherwise does not extend substantially below the bottom of the protrusion 74. The body 59A is pointed similarly to the protrusion 74, as seen in FIG. 29. This configuration eliminates interference with the mounting bracket 71 that would prevent the mounting bracket 71 from being used directly under the drain 17, in contrast with the drain adapter 59 seen in FIG. 23. Other configurations are possible as well.
FIGS. 16-19 illustrate a method of mounting the basin assembly 11 on the pony wall 101. As shown in FIG. 16, the mounting brackets 71 and the end brackets 72 are mounted on the pony wall 101, and the basin assembly 11 is then placed on top of the mounting brackets 71 and the end brackets 72 as shown in FIG. 17. The basin assembly 11 may then be fixed to the mounting brackets 71 and the end brackets 72, such as by fasteners and/or adhesives. When the basin is mounted on the mounting brackets 71 and the end brackets 72, a flange 77 extending rearward on the top 12 of the basin assembly 11 extends over the top surface 102 of the pony wall 101 and is fixed to the top surface 102, as shown in FIG. 18. In one embodiment, the flange 77 is a free flange that is joined to other portions of the basin assembly 11 along only a single edge, at the front of the flange 77, i.e., no side walls or surfaces are connected to the left and right sides of the flange 77. The underside of the flange 77 may be fixed to the top surface 102, such as by fasteners and/or adhesives. As shown in FIG. 18, the basin assembly 11 may be mounted so a slight space exists between the flange 77 and the top surface 102 of the pony wall 101, so the height of the adhesive connecting the flange 77 to the top surface 102 does not cause misalignment of the basin assembly 11. As also shown in FIG. 18, a spacer or backer 78 is also fixed to the top surface 102 of the pony wall 101 in the space between the flange 77 and the main wall 100. The backer 78 may have the same lateral width as the flange 77 and/or may fill most or all of the space between the flange 77 and the main wall 100. A shelf 79 is then connected on top of the flange 77 and the backer 78 to cover part or all of the flange 77 and the backer 78, and the shelf 79 may be fixed in place by fasteners and/or adhesives. The backer 78 and/or the flange 77 may be shimmed or otherwise leveled to ensure that the shelf 79 is leveled properly. In one embodiment, the shelf 79 is slightly angled downward toward the front 14 of the basin assembly 11, such that any liquid on the shelf 79 will naturally flow off of the shelf 79 into the basin assembly 11. This creates a clean and dry shelf 79 that is better suited for holding a user's belongings during washing of hands. Further, the front of the shelf 79 hangs slightly forward of the rear wall 93 of the basin assembly 11, and in one embodiment, lighting (e.g., LED lights) may be fixed to the overhanging underside 58 of the shelf 79. For example, the overhanging underside 58 of the shelf 79 may include a rabbit or recess that may include a strip of LED lights or another lighting device. Such lighting may include a power module, which may be mounted in the cavity 103. The basin assembly 11 may also be fixed to the pony wall 101, such as by adhesive, to further increase strength and stiffness. A basin assembly 11 mounted in this configuration has substantially increased strength of connection to the pony wall 101, as well as substantially increased stiffness.
FIGS. 2, 4-10, and 12 illustrate components of the spout mounting assembly 80 for supporting the spouts 32, 43, 63 for the water dispenser 30, the soap dispenser 40, and/or the hand dryer 60. The spouts 32, 43, 63 may be mounted close to or above the level of the shelf 36, but below the top of the rear wall 93 (which is higher than the shelf 36). Each of the spouts 32, 43, 63 may be mounted to the basin assembly 11 using at least one fixed fastener and at least one removable fastener in some embodiments. It is understood that the terms “fixed fastener” and “removable fastener” do not necessarily imply that the fasteners are fixed to or removable from every related component, but only that the connections created by such fasteners are effectively fixed or removable, respectively. Each of the spouts 32, 43, 63 has a removable fastener in the form of one or more bolts or threaded studs 81 extending from the rear side of the spout 32, 43, 63, which may be received in threaded holes 82 in the rear of the spout 32, 43, 63. The basin assembly 11 has fixed fasteners 83 extending forward from the rear wall 93, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, which are in the form of Christmas tree rivets, which are configured to be inserted into holes with ease but engage the insides of the holes to resist pulling the fixed fasteners 83 out of the holes. These rivets include an enlarged head 83A with a shaft 83B extending from the head 83A, and flexible fingers 83C extending from the shaft 83B. The fingers 83C extend at an angle outward and toward the head 83A, such that insertion of the shaft 83B into a hole is easily accomplished, but the angles of the fingers 83C cause the fingers to “grip” the inside of the hole and resist retraction. The fixed fasteners 83 in the illustrated embodiment extend through holes 84 in the rear wall 93 and are fixed to the rear wall 93. When one of the spouts 32, 43, 63 is to be mounted on the basin assembly 11, the spout 32, 43, 63 can be pushed onto the fixed fasteners 83 such that the fixed fasteners 83 are inserted into holes 85 in the rear side of the spout 32, 43, 63. The fixed fasteners 83 thereby hold the spout 32, 43, 63 in place so that installation can be completed from the inside of the chase 103. When the spout 32, 43, 63 is pushed onto the fixed fasteners 83, the studs 81 also extend through holes 84 in the rear wall 93 of the basin assembly 11. Thus, this configuration permits the spouts 32, 43, 63 to be easily installed by a single worker operating both outside and inside of the chase 103, as well as strengthening the overall connection strength of the spouts 32, 43, 63. The installation can be completed by threading alignment nuts 86 onto the ends of the studs 81 from behind the pony wall 101 and inside the chase 103.
The spout mounting assembly 80 also includes a reinforcing bracket 87 located on the inner surface of the rear wall 93, which may be mounted on the rear wall 93 by fasteners and/or adhesives. The reinforcing bracket 87 in FIGS. 2, 4-10, and 12 is a C-shaped or U-shaped metal channel beam extending laterally along the inside of the rear wall 93 and fastened near the ends of the reinforcing bracket 87. In another embodiment, the reinforcing bracket 87 may have a different shape or configuration, e.g., a flat plate, or may be made from a different material, such as the material of the basin (e.g., quartz). The reinforcing bracket 87 has passages 69 extending therethrough to permit passage of conduits and other components of the water dispenser 30, the soap dispenser 40, and the hand dryer 60. The fixed fasteners 83 are held in place behind the rear wall 93 by having heads 83A sandwiched between the rear wall 93 and the reinforcing bracket 87, as shown in FIG. 5. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, the reinforcing bracket 87 has holes 88 for receiving the studs 81 therethrough, and the holes 88 are countersunk and/or chamfered. The alignment nuts 86 have chamfered protrusions 89 on the front surface thereof, which are dimensioned to be tightly received in the chamfered portions of the holes 88, as shown in FIG. 5. This configuration ensures that the studs 81 are centered within the holes 88 and creates greater positional accuracy and stability for the studs 81 and thereby also for the spouts 32, 43, 63. This, in turn, enables the spouts 32, 43, 63 to be installed in a configuration that is nearly exactly perpendicular to the rear wall 93 of the basin assembly 11 and/or where all three of the spouts 32, 43, 63 extend at nearly exactly equal angles from the rear wall 93. Additionally, the spouts 32, 43, 63 can be mounted at nearly exactly the same rotational angles. For example, in one embodiment, all three spouts 32, 43, 63 can be mounted with less than 0.5° angular misalignment (cither longitudinally or rotationally) between the spouts 32, 43, 63. The alignment nuts 86 also have wide flanges 56 to contact the rear surface of the reinforcing bracket 87 and to ensure that adequate torque can be applied on the alignment nuts 86 against the reinforcing bracket 87. In another embodiment, the alignment nuts 86 may not include a flange 56, and may include a larger hex head instead. It is understood that the reinforcing bracket 87 may not be present, and the alignment nuts 86 may be connected to any surface with appropriate chamfered holes 88.
The air spout 63 includes additional mounting components for an adapter 65 to connect the stem 64 to the air spout 63, illustrated in FIG. 12. The adapter 65 has holes 66 extending therethrough and aligned with the studs 81 to receive the studs 81. The adapter 65 also has recesses 67 in the front surface configured to receive the alignment nuts 86 of the spout mounting assembly 80. The stem 64 is fixed to the adapter 65, and additional nuts 68 are fastened to the ends of the studs 81 to hold the adapter 65 in place in engagement with the mounting assembly 80.
As noted herein, some components of the hand washing station 10 of FIGS. 1-23 may be mounted within the cavity 104 in the pony wall 101 and/or within the chase 103. FIGS. 2, 4, and 13 illustrate some such components, and the hand washing station 10 may include a backing panel 106 connected to the inside of the pony wall 101 within the cavity 104 and an internal shelf 107 at the bottom of the cavity 104. As shown in FIG. 13, the water dispenser control unit 110, the soap control unit 111, the blower motor 61, and the dryer control unit 112 (within the blower motor 61) are mounted on the inside of the pony wall 101 within the cavity 104, and the water dispenser control unit 110 and the soap control unit 111 are both mounted on the backing panel 106. The backing panel 106 may be made from lumber, and the internal shelf 107 may be made from metal, in various embodiments. The soap supply 41 rests on the internal shelf 107 in this configuration.
FIGS. 24-26 illustrate another embodiment of a hand washing station 10 that is configured for mounting on a main wall 100 without a pony wall 101 or a chase 103. Many of the components and features of the hand washing station 10 in this embodiment are similar or identical to the components and features already described herein with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23. Thus, such common components and features may not be mentioned or fully described herein for the sake of brevity.
The hand washing station 10 in FIGS. 24-26 is mounted to the main wall 100 in a different configuration and includes an integral cabinet 108 below the basin for holding the components that are positioned in the cavity 104 and/or in the chase 103 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23. The basin assembly 11 is mounted to the main wall 100 using the end brackets 72 in the same manner the basin assembly 11 is mounted to the pony wall 101 in 16-17, as well as portions of the cabinet 108 to support the basin assembly 11. The mounting assembly 70 in this embodiment may utilize bent straps 37 for adding some additional support and rigidity to the center portions of the basin assembly 11. However, the basin assembly 11 has no free flange 77 in the embodiment of FIGS. 24-26, so the rear of the basin assembly 11 is connected directly to the vertical surface of the main wall 100, such as by fasteners and/or adhesive. It is noted that the basin assembly 11 in FIGS. 24-26 has an integral top shelf 57 extending rearward from the rear wall 93, and the top shelf 57 may be slightly angled downwardly and forwardly as discussed herein. The cabinet 108 includes an internal shelf 107 formed by the bottom wall of the cabinet 108, and components such as the soap supply 41, the water dispenser control unit 110, the soap control unit 111, the blower motor 61, and/or the dryer control unit 112 may be positioned to rest on the internal shelf 107 in this configuration. In one embodiment, due to the decreased room in the cabinet 108 as compared to the cavity 104 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-23, multiple water dispensers 30, soap dispensers 40, and/or hand dryers 60 may share components such as a single soap supply 41, water dispenser control unit 110, soap control unit 111, blower motor 61, and/or dryer control unit 112. The cabinet 108 also has side and front panels 109 to enclose the cabinet 108. These panels 109 can be removed to permit installation and servicing.
FIG. 27 illustrates another embodiment of a hand washing station 10 that is provided as part of a modular unit 120 that also includes one or more other restroom components such as trash receptacles 121 and a baby changing table 122. The embodiment of FIG. 27 is mounted on a pony wall 101, as similarly described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-23. The hand washing station 10 shown in FIG. 27 includes four combinations of water dispensers 30, soap dispensers 40, and hand dryers 60, and a larger number of mounting brackets 71 or bent straps 37 may be used to support the middle portions of the longer basin assembly 11 (if mounting brackets 71 or bent straps 37 are used). It is understood that nearly any practical number of water dispensers 30, soap dispensers 40, and hand dryers 60 may be used in such a modular system. The trash receptacles 121 are mounted to the pony wall 101 at the ends of the basin assembly 11, and may include flanges similar to the flange 77 of the basin assembly 11 for such mounting. As shown in FIG. 27, the modular unit 120 may have a shelf 79 that extends the entire length or substantially the entire length of the modular unit 120, e.g., over the hand washing station 10, the two trash receptacles 121, and the baby changing table 122 in the illustrated embodiment. The baby changing table 122 may be similarly mounted, and may use mounting brackets 71 and/or end brackets 72 similar to those described herein for support. It is understood that common materials may be used for the basin assembly 11 and outer surfaces of the trash receptacles 121 and/or the baby changing table 122, e.g., Corian. While seams are shown between the components of the modular assembly 120 in FIG. 27, these are merely schematic in nature, as such seams would not be visible after the modular assembly 120 is installed.
Various embodiments of hand washing stations have been described herein, which include various components and features. In other embodiments, the hand washing stations may be provided with any combination of such components and features. It is also understood that in other embodiments, the various devices, components, and features of the hand washing stations described herein may be constructed with similar structural and functional elements having different configurations, including different ornamental appearances.
Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. The terms “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “side,” “rear,” “proximal,” “distal,” and the like, as used herein, are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this invention, unless explicitly specified by the claims. When used in description of a method or process, the term “providing” (or variations thereof) as used herein means generally making an article available for further actions, and does not imply that the entity “providing” the article manufactured, assembled, or otherwise produced the article. The term “approximately” as used herein implies a variation of up to 10% of the nominal value modified by such term, or up to 10% of a midpoint value of a range modified by such term. “Integral joining technique,” as used herein, means a technique for joining two pieces so that the two pieces effectively become a single, integral piece, including, but not limited to, irreversible joining techniques such as welding, brazing, soldering, or the like, where separation of the joined pieces cannot be accomplished without structural damage thereto. Additionally, the term “plurality,” as used herein, indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.
Patent Application
20240344310
