Patent Application
20250237046
Priority is claimed of and to German Patent Application Serial No. 20 2024 100 346.2, filed Jan. 24, 2024, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present technology relates to a construction kit for the manufacture of a washbasin and methods for manufacturing and configuring washbasins.
In accordance with one embodiment, a construction assembly (2) for manufacturing a washbasin (1) is provided including a base body (3) made of rigid foam. A recess (19) can be formed atop the base body (3), a bottom of the recess forming a slope toward a drain opening (15) formed in the recess (19). A drainage device (6) can include a drain (16) configured to be inserted into the drain opening (15). The construction kit (2) can include a projection element (32) configured as a separate component made of rigid foam, the projection element having a width (b33) in the range from about 3 mm to about 25 mm and being configured to be arranged above the drainage device (6) and to be connected to the base body (3) in such a way that a drainage gap (33) is formed between the drain (16) of the drainage device (6) and the underside of the projection element (32).
In accordance with another aspect of the technology, a washbasin (1) is provided manufactured from the assembly (2).
The same reference numbers relate hereafter to identical or similar components or component ranges.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “the” can include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a panel” can include one or more of such panels, if the context dictates.
As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. As an arbitrary example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed is an article that is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend upon the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. As another arbitrary example, a composition that is “substantially free of” an ingredient or element may still actually contain such item so long as there is no measurable effect as a result thereof.
As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint.
Relative directional terms can sometimes be used herein to describe and claim various components of the present invention. Such terms include, without limitation, “upward,” “downward,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” etc. These terms are generally not intended to be limiting, but are used to most clearly describe and claim the various features of the invention. Where such terms must carry some limitation, they are intended to be limited to usage commonly known and understood by those of ordinary skill in the art in the context of this disclosure. Generally, directional terms used in this application, such as “top” or “bottom” refer to the installed state. The formulations “substantially vertical” and “substantially horizontal” are to be construed such that the main extension direction is vertical and horizontal, respectively.
As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.
Numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 to about 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, individually.
This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value as a minimum or a maximum. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.
The present invention relates generally to a construction kit for manufacturing a washbasin that includes a base body, which can be made of rigid foam, with a recess at a top side of the base body, the bottom of which forms a slope in the direction of a drain opening formed in the recess, and a drainage device which has a drain designed for insertion into the drain opening. The invention further relates to a washbasin made from such a construction kit.
Construction kits for manufacturing a washbasin are generally known in the prior art. The products known as “LAVADO-FLOAT L” from Lux Elements GmbH & Co KG and “Sanbath” from WEDI GmbH are mentioned here merely by way of example. These construction kits comprise a base body with a recess at the top side of the base body, the bottom of which forms a slope towards a drain opening formed in the recess. The base body is made from a single block of rigid foam, into which the recess and its slope are formed by foaming into an appropriate mold or by milling. Apart from the rear, the main outer surfaces are provided with a mineral coating that acts as a bonding layer to promote the adhesion of thin-bed mortar or filler material. Accordingly, the washbasins can be coated or tiled after installation.
Based on this prior art, it is one object of the present invention to create a construction kit for manufacturing a washbasin as well as a washbasin of the aforementioned type with an alternative structure.
Toward this end, the present invention creates a construction kit (2) for manufacturing a washbasin (1) comprising a base body (3), in particular made of rigid foam, with a recess at a top side of the base body, the bottom of which forms a slope in the direction of a drain opening formed in the recess, and a drainage device which has a drain designed for insertion into the drain opening, characterized in that the construction kit comprises a projection element which is designed as a separate component, in particular made of rigid foam, and which is designed to be arranged above the drainage device and to be connected to the base body in such a way that a drainage gap is formed between the drain of the drainage device and the underside of the projection element, which can have a width in the range from 3 to 25 mm.
When installed, the projection element can visually obscure the drainage device, resulting in a very sleek and attractive design of the washbasin.
Surfaces of the base body and/or of a sealing collar and/or of sealing strips and/or of the projection element can be provided with an outwardly facing bonding layer which promotes adhesion of thin-bed mortar or filler material, which can be concrete filler. Accordingly, the corresponding components can easily be provided with a coating layer or tiles when installed.
Advantageously, the bonding layer can be a non-woven fabric or a woven fabric, which makes the production of the kit simple and inexpensive.
A waterproof layer can be provided underneath the bonding layer, which can be advantageous if the material of the base body is not waterproof or if there are joints through which water and/or moisture can penetrate.
The waterproof layer can advantageously be a plastic film, for example made of polyethylene, which results in a simple and inexpensive structure.
A bonding layer can be arranged directly below and above the waterproof layer. The lower bonding layer can serve to facilitate attachment to the components.
The bonding layer or layers can be bonded to the waterproof layer during production, so that a firmly connected two- or three-layer structure is achieved that is easy to process. Such a two- or three-layer structure can be produced, for example, by laminating or thermally bonding a woven or non-woven fabric to a plastic film.
The rigid foam can be foamed directly onto a bonding layer during production. Alternatively, bonding or fastening using a thermal process is of course also conceivable.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the bonding layer and, if present, the waterproof layer can be provided at least partially as one or more, in particular deep-drawn, moulded bodies, the dimensions of which can be selected such that they can be inserted precisely into the top-side recess of the base body, which significantly facilitates assembly of the kit.
An elongate drainage channel can be provided, which can be made of aluminum or stainless steel. The drainage channel can have an essentially U-shaped cross-section. One of the mutually opposite legs can be curved outwards and or can be folded outwards at its free end. Such a drainage channel can increase the value of the appearance and, above all, is easy to clean. The drainage channel can advantageously include a drain socket which can be inserted into the drain opening of the drainage device.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the base body can have a plurality of cut-to-size rigid foam panels which are arranged one above the other and can be firmly connected to one another. The cutting of such individual rigid foam panels does not generally require a milling machine, which avoids machine acquisition costs if appropriate cutting tools for cutting rigid foam panels are already available. In addition, the structure of the base body can be designed very variably thanks to the cutting of the individual panels, especially with regard to undercuts or the like.
The bottom of the recess can be formed by a downwardly angled panel section of an upper rigid foam panel, for example the uppermost rigid foam panel, wherein supporting elements can be provided which support the panel section from below, thereby achieving a robust structure.
Advantageously, the rigid foam panel forming the bottom of the recess can have a panel thickness in the range from 2 to 10 mm, in particular in the range from 4 to 7 mm. A comparatively thin panel thickness is conducive to the formation of the angled panel section.
A lower rigid foam panel can be arranged directly below the rigid foam panel forming the bottom of the recess, which lower rigid foam panel can have a greater panel thickness than the rigid foam panel forming the bottom of the recess, in particular a panel thickness in the range from 15 to 35 mm, in one example in the range from 20 to 25 mm, wherein the lower rigid foam panel arranged below the rigid foam panel forming the base of the recess can have a recess below the angled panel section, the width of which can correspond to the width of the angled panel section and the depth of which can correspond to the depth of the angled panel section.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a rigid foam panel can be arranged below the lower rigid foam panel which is arranged below the rigid foam panel forming the bottom of the recess and having a recess, the width of which can correspond to the width of the angled panel section, and the depth of which can be less than the depth of the angled panel section, so that the underside of the angled panel section rests on the rigid foam panel arranged thereunder.
The construction kit can include one or more wall brackets for fastening the washbasin to a wall, the wall brackets forming at least two forwardly projecting swords, and the base body can be provided with at least two parallel, elongate sword-receiving recesses extending forwardly from the rear edge of the base body. Such an embodiment promotes simple and sturdy final assembly of the washbasin.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the base body can include a through-opening extending from the top side to the underside for receiving a water pipe, and a mounting plate that can be made of rigid plastic or metal and provided with a through-opening can be provided on the upper side of the base body. The through-opening of the mounting plate can be arranged in alignment with the through-opening of the base body and can serve to connect a washbasin fitting. The diameter of the through-opening of the mounting plate can be smaller than the diameter of the through-opening of the base body in order to provide sufficient space for installing the washbasin fitting.
The present technology can also provide a washbasin manufactured using a construction kit according to the description herein to solve the above-mentioned problem.
The base body 3 can primarily be made of rigid foam and can include an upper-side recess 19 with a width B and a depth T. More particularly, the base body 3 can be formed in the present case from a plurality of cut rigid foam panels 8, 9, 10 and 11, which can be arranged one above the other and can be firmly bonded together, for example using an adhesive. The rigid foam can be extruded polystyrene rigid foam (XPS) due to its waterproof and moisture-proof properties, although other rigid foams are of course also possible. The individual rigid foam panels 8, 9, 10 and 11 can each have a uniform panel thickness s, and can essentially have a rectangular cut or shape. However, it should be clear that other cuts are also possible, for example a square cut, a cut with rounded edges, a free-form cut or similar. In each case, the rear edge of each of the rigid foam panels 8, 9, 10 and 11 can be essentially straight or planar in order to enable attachment to a flat room wall. In the case of free-standing washbasins, a straight or planar rear panel edge is naturally not necessary, but may nevertheless be desirable.
The lowest rigid foam panel 8 can include a rigid foam core 12, which can be coated on both sides with a composite layer, which in the present case can include a bonding layer 14, a waterproof layer 13 and another bonding layer 14. Plastic films, such as polyethylene films, can be utilized as waterproof layers 13. The bonding layers 14 can be a non-woven fabric. Alternatively, however, a woven fabric layer, for example, can also serve as the bonding layer 14. The panel thickness s8 can be in the range of 25 to 35 mm, but is basically freely selectable. A drain opening 15 is formed in the rear area near the rear edge of the panel, the shape of which can be adapted to the shape of a drain 16 of the drainage device 6. The underside of the lowest rigid foam panel 8 can be provided in the front area with a continuous groove 17 extending essentially parallel to the front edge of the panel, into which a light source can be inserted, for example in the form of an LED strip or the like. It should be clear that the groove 17 can of course also be omitted.
The rigid foam panel 9 arranged above this can include a rigid foam core 12, although it can also be provided with waterproof layers 13 and bonding layers 14 in the same way as the bottom rigid foam panel 8. The rigid foam panel 9 can have a central rectangular recess 18, the width of which can correspond to the width B of an upper recess 19 of the washbasin 1. However, the depth t can be slightly less than the depth T of the recess 19. Furthermore, the rigid foam panel 9 can include sword-receiving recesses 20 arranged on both sides of the central recess 18, which can extend parallel to each other from the rear edge of the panel to the front and can be adapted to the dimensions of the swords 4 of the wall brackets 5. The panel thickness s9 is 25 mm in the present example, but other thicknesses can also be employed. The panel thickness s can correspond to the height of the swords 4 in order to ensure a secure hold.
The next rigid foam panel 10, the basic structure of which can correspond to the lowest or second lowest rigid foam panel 8, 9, can also have a central, rectangular recess 21, the width b10 and depth t10 of which can essentially correspond to the width B and depth T of the recess 19. The panel thickness s10 can, in one embodiment, be in the range of 20 to 25 mm.
The uppermost rigid foam panel 11, the basic structure of which can correspond to that of the lowermost rigid foam panel 8, has a downwardly angled panel section 22, the width b11 and depth t11 of which can essentially correspond to those of the recess 21. A front area 23 of the angled panel section can form the slope of the base of the recess 19, while a rear section 24 can form an insertion area for the drainage device 6. For this purpose, the rear area 24 is also provided with a recess 25. The panel thickness s10 can be 5 mm in the present case, but other thicknesses can also be employed.
The wall brackets 5, which can be made of metal, among other materials, can each have a plate-shaped fastening section 26 next to the swords 4, from which the swords 4 can protrude and which can each be provided with four holes 27 for screws to pass through. It should be clear that instead of two wall brackets 5, a single wall bracket with two swords can also be used.
The drainage device 6 can include the drain 16 provided with the sealing collar 28, into which the drain socket 42 of the drainage channel 40 can be inserted. In one embodiment, sealing tapes can also be used instead of the sealing collar 28. The sealing collar can be made of a layered structure which, viewed from top to bottom, has a bonding layer 14, which can be made of fabric or fleece, a waterproof layer 13, which can be made of plastic film, and another bonding layer 14. In one embodiment, the drainage channel 40 can have a substantially L-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, with the opposing legs arranged one above the other. The lower leg can be curved outwards and can be angled downwards at its free end. The free end of the upper leg can be bent at an angle of about 180°.
The pre-cut and pre-formed foil-like shaped bodies 7, whose layer structure can correspond to the layer structure of the sealing collar 28 of the drainage device 6, can be used for the watertight lining of the side walls of the recess 19 and are shaped accordingly. The shaped bodies 7 each comprise overlapping sections 29 for covering the base body areas arranged adjacent to the side walls of the recess 19. A shaped body section 30 can face the rear of the base body 3, in one embodiment flush with the rear of the base body 3, which can serve as a transition to a wall seal.
The projection element 32 can be rectangular in shape and, like the base body, can be made of rigid foam, which in one embodiment can be coated on one or more sides with a composite layer. In one embodiment, the composite layer can include a bonding layer 14, a waterproof layer 13 and another bonding layer 14. The length l of the projection element 32 can be selected such that it corresponds to the width B of the recess 19, and the height h of the projection element 32 can be selected to be less than the maximum height H of the recess.
To assemble the washbasin 1, in a first process the two lower rigid foam panels 8 and 9 can be arranged flush on top of each other and attached to each other, for example glued together. In a second process, the third rigid foam panel 10 can be placed on top of the second rigid foam panel 9 and attached to it. Now the uppermost rigid foam panel 11 can be placed on the third rigid foam panel 10 and fastened to it. The panel section 22 of the uppermost rigid foam panel 11, which can be provided with a notch to facilitate folding down, can then be pressed downwards until it rests on the edge, designated by the reference numeral 31, of the rigid foam panel 9 arranged below, whereupon the underside of the rear region 24 of the panel section 22 can be glued in a sealing manner to the upper bonding layer 14 of the lowermost rigid foam panel 8. The shaped bodies 7 can then be adhesively fixed in the area of the side walls of the recess 19. The drain 16 of the drainage device 6 can then be inserted from above into the drain opening 15 of the lowermost rigid foam panel 8 and the sealing collar 28 can be glued to the upper bonding layer 14 of the uppermost rigid foam panel 11 to form a seal. Then the drain socket 42 of the drainage channel 40 can be inserted into the drain pipe 16. In a further process, the projection element 32 can be placed on the top of the drainage channel 40 and attached to the base body 3, for example with adhesive. In a final process, the visible sides of the base body 3 and the projection element 32 can be coated with a filler material, resulting in the washbasin 1 shown in
One difference between the embodiments is that the recess 19 of the base body 3 can be formed by the recesses 18 and 21 of the rigid foam plates 9 and 10 does not necessarily extend to the rear edge of the base body 3, but can end at a distance “a” from it. The shoulder remaining between the recess 19 and the rear edge of the base body 3 can serve as a storage surface and is also used in the present case to hold a washbasin fitting not shown in detail. For this purpose, the rigid foam panels 8, 9 and 10 are provided with vertically aligned through-openings 34 (
Another difference between the embodiments is that supporting elements 37 in the form of rigid foam plates can be provided, which additionally support the plate section 22 from below, which can provide increased stability relative to the first embodiment.
In addition, the two molded bodies 7 can be replaced by the molded body 38 attached to the drain 16 of the drainage device 6, which can be designed as a molded body in such a way that it seals the entire recess when installed. The molded body 38 can be provided with a recess at the position of the drain opening 15, which can allow free access to the drain opening 15.
In addition, in one example, the lowest rigid foam panel 8 does not necessarily include a groove 17.
To assemble the washbasin, the two lower rigid foam panels 8 and 9 can be arranged flush on top of each other in a first process and attached to each other, for example glued together. In a second process, the third rigid foam panel 10 can be placed on the second rigid foam panel 9 and attached to it. In a further process, the support elements 37 can be arranged on the rigid foam panels 8 and 9 at positions indicated by arrows 41 in
At this point, the visible sides of the base body 3 and the projection element 32 can be coated with a filler material. Furthermore, a washbasin fitting can be mounted on the mounting plate 36.
It should be clear that the embodiment described above serves only as an example and should not be understood as restrictive. Rather, changes and modifications are possible without leaving the scope of protection defined by the appended claims. For example, the base bodies 3 can also be made from a single block of rigid foam, which can at least partially provided with a composite layer comprising a bonding layer 14, a waterproof layer 13 and a bonding layer 14. The arrangement of a drainage channel 40 can also be dispensed with.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202024100346.2 | Jan 2024 | DE | national |
