EP2101004A2

EP2101004A2 - Washbasin

Info

Publication number: EP2101004A2
Application number: EP09154766A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mario Nanni
Original assignee: Mario Nanni Progettista Srl
Current assignee: Mario Nanni Progettista Srl
Priority date: 2008-03-10
Filing date: 2009-03-10
Publication date: 2009-09-16
Also published as: ITBO20080154A1; EP2101004A3

Abstract

A washbasin comprises a channel (5) for collecting and draining out the water, a first, movable wall (7) and a second, fixed wall (8) positioned opposite each other and designed to cooperate to convey the falling water towards the channel (5) that collects and drains out the falling water.

Description

This invention relates to a washbasin.
In particular, the invention relates to a washbasin for domestic use.
In this specification, the term "washbasin" is used in a more general sense to mean a device for channelling falling water and is not therefore limited to basins for holding water.
The need for small and compact washbasins or hand basins dates back well into the last century. Especially in trains, aeroplanes, boats and other means of transport, where space is extremely limited, sanitary fixtures must occupy a minimum of space.
Many different kinds of washbasins have therefore been developed, including fold-away basins, basically comprising a basin for holding water and which, when not used, can be tucked away in a recess made in the wall of a compartment.
Use of this type of basin has several disadvantages.
One disadvantage is due to the difficulty, after filling the basin with water, of emptying it by draining the water out through a suitable pipe.
Another drawback is due to the necessarily close relation between the depth of the basin and the thickness of the compartment wall which accommodates the basin when it is folded away. To be useful, the basin must be relatively deep but that means that the recess made in the compartment wall to house it when it is not used must be correspondingly deep, which in turn means that the basin ends up occupying a considerable amount of space even when it is not used.
This invention has for an aim to provide a washbasin that is free of the above mentioned disadvantages and that is at once simple in structure, compact in size, and practical and easy to use.
The technical characteristics of the invention according to the aforementioned aim may be easily inferred from the contents of the appended claims, especially claim 1, and preferably any of the claims that depend, either directly or indirectly, on claim 1.
Further, the advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention provided merely by way of example without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic front elevation view of a plumbing installation comprising a washbasin according to this invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-section through line II-II of Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are schematic perspective views showing the washbasin of Figure 1 in two different working configurations;
Figure 5 is a schematic front elevation view of another embodiment of the plumbing installation of Figure 1;
Figure 6 is a cross-section through line IV-IV of Figure 5.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a washbasin made in accordance with this invention.
The washbasin 1 forms part of a domestic plumbing installation labelled 2 as a whole.
As illustrated in Figure 1, the installation 2 comprises the washbasin 1 and a dispenser 3, both mounted on a wall 4 of a room such as a home bathroom or the like. The wall 4 has a flat outside face 4a.
With reference to Figure 2, the washbasin 1 comprises: a channel 5 for collecting and draining out the water and housed in a cavity 6 made in the room wall 4; a first, movable wall 7; and a second, fixed wall 8.
Still with reference to Figure 2, the movable and fixed basin walls 7, 8 are positioned opposite each other and are designed to cooperate to convey the water issuing downwards from the dispenser 3 towards the collecting and drainage channel 5.
The first, movable basin wall 7 is hinged to the room wall 4, either directly or indirectly through a frame, not illustrated, to rotate about a respective axis A1 between a first, closed position, shown in Figure 4, where the washbasin 1 cannot collect water, and a second, open position, shown in Figures 2 and 3, where the basin walls 7, 8 are positioned to receive the water dispensed by the dispenser 3 and to convey it towards the collecting and drainage channel 5.
As illustrated in Figure 2, a drain pipe 9, advantageously connected to the sewer system, branches off from the collecting and drainage channel 5.
As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the movable basin wall 7 has an inside face 7a and an outside face 7b, both advantageously flat.
From the inside face 7a of the first, movable basin wall 7 there extend towards the fixed basin wall 8 two basin side walls 10, only one of which is shown in the drawings, designed to laterally contain the water flowing over the inside face 7a of the basin wall 7 itself and down towards the collecting and drainage channel 5.
As clearly illustrated in Figure 4, when the first, movable basin wall 7 is in the closed end position, its flat outside face 7b lies in the same plane as the face 4a of the room wall 4.
The dashed line in Figures 2 and 6 represents the basin side wall 10 at the closed end position of the first, movable basin wall 7.
The washbasin 1 according to the invention further comprises means, not illustrated, for adjusting the maximum rotation of the first, movable basin wall 7 about its axis A1, said means being designed to vary the configuration of the first basin wall 7 itself when it is at the second, open position. In other words, the rotation adjustment means, not illustrated, can be used to change the maximum extent to which the movable basin wall 7 protrudes and hence the size of the water collection area and the overall dimensions of the washbasin 1.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the washbasin 1 forms part of a plumbing installation 2 which includes a customary water dispenser 3, that is to say, equipped with a spout 11 protruding from the room wall 4, and knobs 12, 13 for controlling water delivery.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment 2' of the plumbing installation, where the washbasin 1, mounted in the respective recess 6 in the room wall 4, is combined with a fold-away water dispenser 14. The dispenser 14 comprises a main body 15, in the shape of a parallelepiped, hinged to the room wall 4 to rotate about a respective rotation axis A2 between a first, inoperative end position (not illustrated), where it is housed at least partly in a respective recess 16 in the room wall 4, and lies in substantially the same plane as the face 4a of the room wall 4, and where water cannot be delivered, and a second, working position, illustrated in Figure 6, where it is rotated relative to the first position and where water can be delivered.
In use, starting from its first closed end position, illustrated in Figure 4, where its outside face 7b lies in substantially the same plane as the face 4a of the room wall 4, the first basin wall 7 of the washbasin is rotated by the user about its rotation axis A1 to the second, open position, illustrated clearly in Figures 2 and 3.
Advantageously, the recess 6 in the room wall 4 extends vertically beyond the movable basin wall 7 so as to leave a large enough gap to allow the user to grip the wall 7 itself.
At the second, open position, the first basin wall 7 is positioned in such a way that the flow of water issuing from the dispenser 3, 14 strikes its inside face 7b and, together with the second, fixed basin wall 8 and with the basin side walls 10, contributes to receiving and channelling the water flow towards the collecting and drainage channel 5. Advantageously, therefore, when the washbasin 1 is used, its movable wall 7 is folded out and protrudes from the face 4a of the room wall 4 whereas, when the washbasin 1 is not used, its wall 7 is left in the closed end position where it substantially does not protrude from the room wall 4.
Thanks to this characteristic, the washbasin 1 according to the invention occupies very little space and, when not used, can be tucked away very neatly in an extremely small space as is the recess 6.
Advantageously, the washbasin 1 is associated with valve means, not illustrated, designed to shut off the water supply from the dispenser 3, 14 when the movable basin wall 7 is not in a position to collect the water. By way of example, these valve means may be controlled according to two, not necessarily alternative modes: in such a way as to inhibit the water supply when the movable basin wall 7 is in its first closed end position, or in such a way as to enable the water supply from the dispenser 3, 14 only when the movable basin wall 7 is in its second, open position.
In other embodiments, not illustrated, of the invention, when the basin wall 7 is in the first, closed end position, its outside face 7b may be positioned in such a way that it is not parallel with the flat face 4a of the room wall 4 and, even in cases where it is parallel, in such a way that it does not lie in the same plane but protrudes from the room wall 4 or is recessed further into the room wall.

Claims

A washbasin comprising a channel (5) for collecting and draining out the water, a first, movable wall (7) and a second, fixed wall (8) positioned opposite each other and designed to cooperate to convey the falling water towards the channel (5) that collects and drains out the falling water; the first, movable basin wall (7) being designed to rotate about a respective axis (A1) at least between a first, closed end position where the washbasin cannot collect water, and a second, open position where the basin walls (7, 8) are positioned to receive the water and to convey it towards the channel (5).
The washbasin according to claim 1, mounted on a wall (4) of a room, characterized in that the second, fixed basin wall (8) is housed in a recess (6) made in the room wall (4).
The washbasin according to claim 2, characterized in that the movable basin wall (7) has a flat outside face (7b) which, when the first, movable basin wall (7) is in the first, closed end position, is parallel with a face (4a) of the room wall (4).
The washbasin according to claim 3, characterized in that when the movable basin wall (7) is in the first, closed end position, its flat outside face (7b) lies in the same plane as the face (4a) of the room wall.
The washbasin according to any of the foregoing claims from 1 to 4, characterized in that the movable basin wall (7) has a flat inside face (7a).
The washbasin according to any of the foregoing claims from 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises two basin side walls (10) mounted on the movable basin wall (7) and designed to laterally contain the water flowing down towards the collecting and drainage channel (5).
The washbasin according to any of the foregoing claims from 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises means for adjusting the maximum rotation of the first, movable basin wall (7) about its axis (A1) and varying its second, open position.
A plumbing installation characterized in that it comprises a washbasin (1) according to any of the claims from 1 to 7, said washbasin (1) being housed at least partly in a recess (6) in a room wall (4).
The plumbing installation according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a water dispenser (3, 14) positioned above the washbasin (1) in such a way that the flow of water issuing from it strikes an inside face (7a) of the first, movable basin wall (7) when the latter is in its second, open position.
The plumbing installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the water dispenser (14) is designed to be housed at least partly in a respective recess (16) made in the room wall (4).
The plumbing installation according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that it comprises valve means designed to inhibit the water supply from the dispenser (3, 14) when the movable basin wall (7) is in the first, closed end position.
The plumbing installation according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that it comprises valve means designed to enable the water supply from the dispenser (3, 14) only when the movable basin wall (7) is in the second, open position.