The present invention operates in the field of prefabrication and in particular of sanitary environments such as sanitary services; in detail it proposes a complete bathroom made of prefabricated modules, reversibly assemblable, in order to install a bathroom in a limited space and in a brief time period.
The bathroom is a room housing sanitary devices, widespread throughout most of the world. In modern homes, it is the site of the toilet bowl, the sink and the tub and/or the shower plate and, in the countries where it is diffused, the bidet. When the only accessories are the toilet bowl and the sink, it is specifically termed lavatory.
After the époque of the Ancient Greeks, and then the Romans, in which the bathroom was intended as an important public place not only for hygiene but also for socializing, in the Middle Ages the technical knowledge for building new systems and sewerage/drainage was lost, and there came to be widespread the incorrect belief that water penetrated into the pores of the skin, causing infectious diseases; this led to the complete decline of the public baths. Only in the 17th century did personal hygiene start to reaffirm itself and there was a rebirth of baths, and with the 20th century also architectural design was involved with hygienic-sanitary needs, making the bathroom become first an external appendage of the home before returning to occupy a room with the most prestigious homes. With the Second World War, the bathroom once again started to be part of private homes on a wide scale, also stimulating the interest of planners and architects.
The need to accelerate and rationalize the construction of large-size structures has actually contributed to the diffusion in recent years of an innovative construction method: the prefabricated bathroom. The latter is constituted by modules which are made in a special industrial factory and subsequently assembled at the site of destination, considerably reducing the building times.
The increasing need to save space within homes has led to various space-saving inventions, such as the patent US 2015 28 97 32 (A1) with title “Ready-to-assemble toilet”, which claims an independent bathroom with sewer connection, or the patent WO 2015 13 52 02 (A1) which describes a multipurpose toilet bowl that integrates numerous compartments in order to contain the toilet paper, the toilet brush and an object-holder compartment. Also the toilet bowl itself can be “hidden”, as in the patent CN 2044 18 33 1 (U) which describes a toilet bowl re-closeable in a simple space-saver furniture piece, or as in the patent US 2012 19 86 09 (A1) which describes a foldable bellows-like toilet bowl.
However, none of the existing inventions seems to resolve the problem of making an additional bathroom in the home or in any other environment, without having to carry out difficult renovation works and without having to reserve considerable available surface area to these spaces.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to propose a complete bathroom in the form of a modular kit, with dimensions usually useful for the installation of only the shower box, provided with hidden sanitary appliances and with prefabricated electrical and hydraulic systems, easily and reversibly mountable and positionable, which only requires connecting to the home power grid and water supply system by means of suitable adapted provided with the kit.
According to the present invention, a prefabricated modular kit, reversibly assemblable, is attained that is adapted for the quick installation of a bathroom, characterized by space-saving sanitary appliances and by possible additional comforts, falling within the dimensions of a common shower box.
Advantageously, there is only one wall equipped with the sanitary appliances and it is constituted by the superimposition of only three modules, a lower module, an intermediate module and an upper module, which already have the internal arrangement of the water connections, the electrical connections and the discharge pipe of the toilet. The superimposition of one module on the other, therefore, is quick and requires only small technical expedients in order to carry out the system connections required by the specific case, which represent a commonplace operation for any installer.
The lower module, based on the system characteristics of the property in which it is desired to install the present bathroom, can be advantageously provided with the water connections placed on its rear surface or on one of the two lateral surfaces. With regard to the discharge piping of the toilet, this can be arranged on the back or on the side of the lower module, for the connection to the pre-existing wall, at which one wishes to install the bathroom. In the case of self-supporting installations, i.e. without being directly connected to the pre-existing wall, the discharge piping of the toilet can be arranged for discharging downward, i.e. towards the floor.
More in detail, the lower module, in addition to the toilet bowl, preferably provided with toilet cover, is provided with a discharge device for activating the flushing; a roll-holder for containing a common toilet paper roll; a container integrated in the volume of said lower module and accessible by means of a common door, in which for example the reserve toilet paper rolls can be stored; a tiltable door adapted to contain the brush or the hydro-brush for cleaning the bowl and integrated in the volume of said lower module; a sprayhead laterally placed with respect to said toilet bowl adapted to be grasped by the user in order to act as bidet. In addition to or in substitution of the sprayhead, a water spray can be provided directly within the toilet bowl, still in order to act as bidet.
In some possible embodiments, the toilet bowl is of bellows type or partially extractible so as to increase the usable surface area of the bathroom when the toilet bowl is not used.
The intermediate module, advantageously, comprises:
Advantageously, the intermediate module can be installed with the sink surface adapted to be overturned on the same side as the toilet bowl placed on the underlying lower module, or, in the case of “stand-alone” installations, the intermediate module can be installed in order to be usable from the other side. In this manner, advantageously, one single kit of the present invention can be simultaneously used by two users, one on one side who uses the toilet bowl and one on the other side of the structure who uses the sink.
The upper module is advantageously provided with at least one container, made within the volume of said upper module, made accessible by means of at least one openable door at which at least one mirror is installed. As already stated for the intermediate module, also the upper module can be connected to the intermediate module such that it can be used on the same side of the latter or on the opposite side.
Above or on the side of said upper module, the installation of a shower module is provided which is constituted by at least one foldable arm, adapted to be placed back in a first closed configuration in which it is entirely comprised in the volume of said shower module. By rotating with respect to the horizontal plane, by means of suitable hinges, said foldable arm reversibly takes on a second open configuration in which its distal end is placed on the vertical of a shower plate installed on the lower part and described hereinbelow. The distal end of said foldable arm has, advantageously, a showerhead adapted to act as a shower when in said second open configuration.
Advantageously, said shower module can be installed in one direction or in the other so as to have the arm adapted to be extended towards the opening side of said container or towards the opposite side.
Below these just-described modules, said kit also comprises a floor module, constituted by a common shower plate provided with suitable drain, adapted to be positioned below said lower module on the side where said foldable arm is adapted to be opened.
If it was necessary to completely close the bathroom space, said kit can advantageously also comprise a ceiling module, adapted to be installed above said upper module and comprising at least one light and at least one exhaust fan adapted to be reversibly turned on upon command of a common switch or in an automatic manner, when a suitable sensor detects the presence of a user.
Said kit can comprise at least one side wall module or a plurality of side wall modules, based on the planimetric characteristics of the site where it is desired to install the bathroom. Said side wall modules are adapted to be installed on the side and in front of said lower, intermediate, upper and shower modules. These can be made of any one opaque, transparent or translucent material.
In a preferred embodiment, said side wall modules are provided with any one reversible mechanical coupling system adapted to allow the quick, stable and reversible coupling of a corresponding covering panel made of any one material. Advantageously, in this manner, the aspect of the bathroom can radically change with little effort, actually making the covering material interchangeable.
To complete the kit, a door is installed at one of said side wall modules in order to allow access to said bathroom.
In some embodiments, said door can be advantageously provided with a locking device for the lock. Such element can be useful in various situations. For example, outside the bathroom, a scanner can be installed of any type that allows access to the bathroom, and hence unlocking said locking device, only to those possessing a pre-established access code. This can be particularly useful in the case of bathrooms reserved for employees of a store or for airport and station bathrooms where the scanning of the travel ticket is required.
Another example is that of in-line bathrooms, in which, for an optimization of the cleaning operations, it is preferable to configure the locking devices so that they allow access to one of the bathrooms only if the preceding bathroom is occupied. In such a manner, on days when they are not very frequented, it may happen that the final bathrooms of the line are not used and hence do not require cleaning.
Said kit can advantageously comprise a great number of additional elements that render the present invention adaptable to any context.
Such elements comprised in the kit and freely installable in any one of its modules are the following:
In the version for handicapped people on wheelchairs, the toilet bowl is of foldable bellows type and the internal arrangement of the bathroom is such to allow a complete rotation of the wheelchair without impacting any component of the bathroom and allow the approach to the sanitary appliances that is completely safe for the user. Suitable grip handles can also advantageously be included for wheelchair users. If the floor module creates a step that is hard to overcome for a wheelchair user, in this version of the kit said floor module can advantageously include a reversible extractible ramp that assists the handicapped user in going beyond said step in accordance with the current laws for handicapped user accessibility.
In one of the multiple embodiments of the present invention, moreover, the floor module is provided with a lifting system adapted to adjust the height thereof, which during kit assembly step can determine a height of the floor module and hence of the entire bathroom from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 30 cm. Due to this possibility, the installation of bathrooms in sequence one next to the other is made more manageable from a plant standpoint. The arrangement of the bathrooms at heights that are decreasing the more one approaches the pre-existing wall allows creating the suitable slope for the discharge duct of the WC even of the bathroom furthest from the wall.
Advantageously, said kit can also be provided with a plurality of radiators, preferably with infrared radiation, alternatively connected to a dehumidifier or to a steam generator, adapted to allow the user to use said bathroom as a dry sauna or a steam room or Turkish bath. The combined activation of radiators and dehumidifier or of radiators and steam generator is advantageously controlled by a switch inside said bathroom or, preferably, remotely by means of a remote and programmable automated starting system.
Advantageously, said kit can also be provided with a plurality of internal diffusers adapted to spread in the air, in a controlled and programmable manner, a particular aroma or a deodorant or an essence with therapeutic functions.
In a bathroom module complete with ceiling and provided with hermetic seals between one module and the next, a shower jet of hygienizing liquid can also be arranged which permeates each surface, cleaning it. The connectors between the walls can be advantageously curved so as to allow conveying all the sprayed liquid towards the drain of the shower plate and hence self-cleaning and self-hygienizing the bathroom, without the intervention of cleaning personnel.
Advantageously, said kit is provided with at least four wheels, placed in contact with the pre-existing floor at the four vertical edges of the structure, adapted to allow the easy positioning of the bathroom once assembled and adapted to be locked in order to allow the connection of the bathroom to the electrical, hydraulic and drain systems of the building.
In a further assembly version of the kit, subject of the present invention, an installation of the lower module can be provided that is non-aligned with respect to the intermediate module, as illustrated hereinbelow.
The advantages of the invention proposed herein are evident in light of the present description and will be clearer from the description of the preferred embodiments and from the enclosed figures.
The invention will be described hereinbelow in at least one preferred embodiment by way of a non-limiting example with the aid of the enclosed figures, in which:
It is clear, from the preceding description and from the just-illustrated figures, that there are numerous embodiments of the present invention and they are in turn aimed to resolve any situation regarding spaces and systems, for any type of setting whether public or private.
The preferred embodiment for private settings, hence homes and the like, is constituted by the kit which comprises a lower module 1, an intermediate module 2, an upper module 3, a floor module 4, a shower module 5, a ceiling module and a plurality of side wall modules 6. As seen in
In the thickness of the lower module, the electrical and hydraulic systems and the discharge pipe 30 are already preformed.
The design of the kit will be such to be adapted to the system arrangements of the bathroom installation site. For this reason, the water connections 20-21 can be arranged on the rear surface 1.b of the lower module 1 or on one of its lateral surfaces 1.c. This allows the installation of the bathroom both adjacent to the pre-existing wall 10 of the installation site (
Analogously, the discharge pipe 30 of the toilet bowl 1.1 will be preformed, adapted to be connected in fecal connection on the rear surface 1.b of the lower module 1, on one of the lateral surfaces 1.c or towards the floor.
The intermediate module 2 will be provided on its lower surface with water connections 20-21 already arranged for being connected with the lower module 1. Said lower module 1 has a sink surface 2.1 of hidden overturnable type or possibly bellows type.
More in detail, when the user is using the toilet bowl 1.1, presumably, the sink surface 2.1 will be in a first closed configuration, i.e. the intermediate module 2 has a completely flat surface.
Once the use of the toilet bowl 1.1 has terminated, if it is bellow foldable the user will bring it into the closed or folded configuration and will make said sink surface 2.1 rotate around its lower side, causing it to take on a second open configuration in which the sink surface 2.1 is substantially parallel to the floor and the following are made accessible: the faucet 2.2, the mixer 2.3, the soap dispenser 2.4 and the air jet hands-dryer 2.5 which is turned on by means of proximity sensor.
In the preferred embodiment for home and private settings, the intermediate module 2 and the lower module 1 are mutually installed in order to be usable on the same side and hence by only one user at a time.
Also the upper module 3 is configured for being usable by the same single user on the same side of the attained structure. Said upper module is provided with a container 3.1 made in the thickness of the module itself, made accessible from at least one door externally covered with at least one mirror 3.2. Above, a shower module 5 is arranged having a foldable arm 5.1 with a showerhead 5.2 at the distal end. Said foldable arm 5.1 can reversibly take on a first closed configuration in which it is included in the thickness of the shower module 5, and a second open configuration in which the distal end of the foldable arm 5.1 is substantially on the vertical of the center of the bathroom.
In order to use the shower, by means of said foldable arm 5.1, below the lower module 1 a floor module 4 is installed that is provided with the suitable shower plate 4.1.
Above, the bathroom is closed by a suitable ceiling module provided with at least one light and at least one exhaust fan adapted to be reversibly turned on upon command of a common switch.
On the side, the bathroom is delimited by one or by a plurality of side wall modules 6, depending on the planimetric form of the pre-existing wall. On one of said side wall modules 6, the access door 7 is arranged.
Said side wall modules 6 can be made of any one opaque, transparent or translucent material and can be provided with any one reversible mechanical coupling system adapted to allow the quick, stable and reversible coupling of a corresponding covering panel made of any one material. The interchangeable internal covering renders the bathroom of the present invention easily adaptable to any setting and architectural style.
In the case of use of the present invention for public spaces or spaces open to the public, reference is made to
This involves a plurality of bathrooms, constituted by the same above-described modules, but arranged cantilevered with respect to the pre-existing wall 10 and in line one after the other. Said intermediate module 2, in this case, can be used on the opposite side with respect to the lower module 1, thus creating an ante-bathroom—hand-washing zone and a toilet zone.
Assuming that the bathroom in series of
Independent of the embodiment of the present invention, it is preferably that at least four wheels are present in the kit, to be connected to the four corners of the complete structure in order to allow an easy movement thereof after having assembled the kit. Once the bathroom is positioned at the pre-selected installation point, technicians can proceed with the system connections in order to block the wheels or entirely disassemble them.
Finally, it is clear that modifications, additions or variations that are obvious for the man skilled in the art can be made to the invention described up to now, without departing from the protective scope that is provided by the enclosed claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
102018000003171 | Mar 2018 | IT | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/IB2019/051416 | 2/21/2019 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2019/166924 | 9/6/2019 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1859859 | Zook | May 1932 | A |
2084793 | Denison | Jun 1937 | A |
2611134 | Jarrett | Sep 1952 | A |
2650368 | Evans | Sep 1953 | A |
2907048 | Gould | Oct 1959 | A |
3047106 | Callahan | Jul 1962 | A |
3110907 | King | Nov 1963 | A |
3594825 | Reid | Jul 1971 | A |
3978529 | Krafft | Sep 1976 | A |
4142255 | Togni | Mar 1979 | A |
5253373 | Tsipov | Oct 1993 | A |
5438713 | Clarke | Aug 1995 | A |
6185759 | Staudenmayer | Feb 2001 | B1 |
7984520 | Hall | Jul 2011 | B2 |
20120198609 | Grimaldi | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20150289732 | Ito et al. | Oct 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
632 550 | Oct 1982 | CH |
204418331 | Jun 2015 | CN |
1127314 | Sep 1968 | GB |
2 003 955 | Mar 1979 | GB |
9502736 | Jan 1995 | WO |
2015135202 | Sep 2015 | WO |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report for PCT/IB2019/051416 dated Jun. 7, 2019, 4 pages. |
Written Opinion of the ISA for PCT/IB2019/051416 dated Jun. 7, 2019, 10 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200407954 A1 | Dec 2020 | US |