Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/12—Plumbing installations for waste water; Basins or fountains connected thereto; Sinks
  • E03C1/24—Overflow devices for basins or baths
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/12—Plumbing installations for waste water; Basins or fountains connected thereto; Sinks
  • E03C1/18—Sinks, whether or not connected to the waste-pipe
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/12—Plumbing installations for waste water; Basins or fountains connected thereto; Sinks
  • E03C1/32—Holders or supports for basins
  • E03C1/33—Fastening sinks or basins in an apertured support

Definitions

• This invention relates to sinks. More particularly this invention relates to undercounter mountable sinks provided with improved overflow structures.
• sinks have a rimmed basin mounted to a counter top. Water from a faucet or other water supply is directed into the basin, where it collects and typically then flows down a lower drain. [0005] However, in some cases, the basin of the sink may become overfilled with water. This can occur if the opening to the drain is blocked while the water is still running. This can occur due to the drain being left closed too long when the water is running, or the speed of the water exceeding the drainage capacity of the drain due to clogging or the like.
• a sink assembly which has a counter having a top surface and a bottom surface, with an opening extending through the counter.
• An under- counter mountable sink is mounted to the bottom surface of the counter about the opening.
• the under-counter mountable sink includes a basin having walls extending from an upper rim down to a drain opening.
• a drain passage extends from the drain opening.
• An overflow cutout is formed along the upper rim of the basin. The overflow cutout has a lower lip below the upper rim and an open top.
• An overflow channel extends from the overflow cutout to the drain passage to place the overflow cutout in communication with the drain passage.
• the bottom surface of the counter serves as a wall of the overflow channel.
• a sealant e.g. a silicone line located between the upper rim and the bottom surface of the counter.
• the sealant forms a seal between the upper rim and the bottom surface of the counter, and does so proximate the overflow channel .
• the invention provides an under-counter mountable sink having a basin with walls extending from an upper rim down to a drain opening.
• a drain passage extends from the drain opening.
• An overflow cutout is formed along the upper rim of the basin.
• the overflow cutout has a lower lip below the upper rim and an open top.
• An overflow channel extends from the overflow cutout to the drain passage to place the overflow cutout in communication with the drain passage.
• the sink is mountable under a counter and, if so mounted, and if a level of water in the basin exceeds the lower lip of the overflow cutout, the water would be able to flow over the lower lip, through the overflow channel, and into the drain passage.
• the sink is made of a ceramic material where a portion of the overflow cutout is positioned within one-half inch of the upper rim of the under-counter mountable sink.
• the under- counter mountable sink may define only a portion of the overflow channel, such that the open top can permit a counter to form another part thereof.
• the upper rim may have an inner periphery and an outer periphery substantially equally spaced from one another about a perimeter of the upper rim except near the overflow flow channel. Proximate the overflow channel, a distance between the inner periphery and the outer periphery may be locally decreased to provide the overflow channel .
• a wall of the basin may double as a wall of the overflow channel, the overflow channel may extend in part at an angle towards the drain passage, and the overflow channel may place the basin in coinmunication with the drain passage below the drain opening .
• a method of installing an under-counter mountable sink to a counter to form an overflow The sink has a basin having walls extending from an upper rim down to a drain opening. A drain passage extends from the drain opening . An overflow cutout is formed along the upper rim of the basin. The overflow cutout has a lower lip below the upper rim and an open top. An overflow channel extends from the overflow cutout to the drain passage to place the overflow cutout in communication with the drain passage. [0020] The method involves mounting the under-counter mountable sink to a bottom surface of the counter such that the bottom surface of the counter and the overflow cutout each define a portion of the overflow opening.
• a line of sealant may be positioned between the counter and the under-counter mountable sink.
• the sink can hold more water than a similarly-shaped sink having an overflow opening punched in the side wall of the basin at a lower position.
• this improves the functionality of the sink, better maximizing the depth of the basin.
• FIG. 1 is a left, top, frontal perspective view of an under-counter mountable sink of the present invention installed to create a sink assembly of the present invention
• FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, albeit slightly enlarged, and without showing the counter;
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and
• FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
• a sink assembly 10 including a counter 12 and an under-counter mountable sink 14 mounted under the counter 12.
• the under-counter mountable sink 14 can be made from any one or more of a number of materials including ceramic, metal, and/or plastic.
• a faucet and one or more control handles may be positioned on top of the counter 12, adjacent sink 14.
• the under-counter mountable sink 14 has a basin 16 having walls 18 extending down from an upper rim 20 to a drain opening 22.
• a drain passage 24, best seen in FIG. 3, extends down from the drain opening 22.
• the drain passage 24 typically is then connected to a sewer line in a manner well understood by the art.
• the drain passage 24 could house a controllable plug or stop that can be actuated via a pull-up knob or other means to selectively seal the drain opening 22.
• a user can prevent water from draining out from the bottom of the basin 16, thus (when the faucet is supplying water) filling the basin 16.
• An upper rim 20 may be integrally formed with the basin walls 18.
• the side walls extend down all the way to the drain opening 22.
• side walls may instead blend into a generally horizontally configured bottom wall, with the bottom wall then linking to the drain opening.
• the upper rim 20 has a substantially planar surface 26 that extends in a generally horizontal direction when the under-counter mountable sink 14 is positioned in a use position (i.e., rim side up and drain side down) .
• the substantially planar surface 26 is bounded by an inner periphery 28, nearest the basin and defining the transition between the upper rim 20 and the walls 18 of the basin 16, and an outer periphery 30.
• the planar surface 26 of the upper rim 20 is designed to be positioned against the bottom surface of the counter 12.
• the overflow cutout 32 has an open top 34 on the planar surface 26 of the upper rim 20. As best seen in FIG. 4, the overflow cutout 32 is substantially U-shaped having a lower lip 38 that curves upward on either lateral side to a pair of side walls 40. The overflow cutout 32 extends back from the inner periphery 28 to connect to an overflow channel 36. The overflow channel 36 and the overflow cutout preferably share the open top 34 on the planar surface 26 of the upper rim 20.
• the inner periphery 28 and the outer periphery 30 are substantially equally spaced from one another about a perimeter of the upper rim 20 except proximate the overflow channel 36. Proximate the overflow channel 36, the distance between the inner periphery 28 and the outer periphery 30 is locally decreased to provide for the placement of the overflow channel 36. However, in other forms the distance between the inner periphery 28 and the outer periphery 30 could be substantially equal even around the overflow channel 36 by increasing the material of the upper rim 20 in this region. [0036] As best seen in FIG. 3, the overflow channel 36 extends from the overflow cutout 32 to the drain passage 24 placing the two in communication with each other. The overflow channel 36 is connected to the drain passage 24 at a junction 42 located downstream of the drain opening 22.
• the overflow channel 36 is, in part, integrally formed in the under-counter mountable sink 14 and extends back at an angle back towards the drain passage 24.
• the overflow channel 36 includes the wall 18 that on one side forms a surface 44 of the basin 16 and on the other side forms a surface 46 of the overflow channel 36.
• the overflow channel 36 further includes an outer wall 48 that provides the remaining surfaces of the overflow channel 36.
• This outer wall 48 can be generally U-shaped in cross section with each of the ends being joined to the wall 18.
• the overflow channel 36 may narrow as it extends from the overflow cutout 32 to the junction 42 between the overflow channel 36 and the drain passage 24.
• the overflow channel 36 could also have a generally uniform cross-sectional area.
• the counter 12 has a top surface 50 and a bottom surface 52 with a opening 54 extending through the counter 12.
• the opening 54 is generally shaped and sized to match the inner periphery 28 of the upper rim 20, with the exception of the overflow cutout 32.
• the under- counter mountable sink 14 is positioned such that the inner periphery 28 of the upper rim 20 generally aligns with a side wall 56 that defines the perimeter of the opening 54.
• the side wall 56 is preferably structured to smoothly transition into the wall 18 of the basin 16. In the form shown, this means that the side wall 56 extends in an essentially vertical direction to match the essentially vertically extending portions of the wall 18 of the basin 16 near the mounting seam. By doing this, the side wall 56 of the counter 12 can effectively act as an extended wall of the sink. Although the side wall 56 is shown as having sharp 90 degree edges with the top surface 50 and the bottom surface 52 of the counter 12, these edges could have a bevel, a radius, or the like to provide the desired aesthetic appearance.
• the under-counter mountable sink 14 may be mounted or secured to the bottom surface 52 of the counter 12 in a number of ways.
• the sink 14 could be secured to the counter 12 using a strong adhesive or the like which permanently bonds the planar surface 26 to the upper rim 20 to the counter 12.
• the sink 14 could be secured to the counter 12 using brackets, bolts, screws, other fasteners or the like.
• the sink 14 could be additionally supported by structural elements other than the counter 12 to reduce the stress on the counter 12 of supporting the sink 14. These structural elements may be concealed by a vanity, cabinetry or the like .
• sealant 58 positioned to form a seal proximate the overflow cutout 32 between the planar surface 26 of the upper rim 20 of the sink 14 and the bottom surface 52 of the counter 12.
• the sealant 58 helps prevent water from leaking between the sink 14 and the counter 12.
• the sealant 58 extends around the entire periphery of the upper rim 20 such that, in the event any water collects over the upper rim 20, the water does not leak between the sink 14 and the counter 12. It is contemplated that in some forms, the sealant 58 could also be an adhesive that mounts the sink 14 to the counter 12.
• the under-counter mountable sink 14 When the under-counter mountable sink 14 is mounted to the counter 12, a portion of the bottom surface 52 of the counter 12 and the overflow cutout 32 together define an opening 60 of the overflow channel 36.
• the bottom surface 52 of the counter 12 also forms a top wall 62 of the overflow channel 36.
• the sealant 58 around the open top 34 of the overflow cutout 32 assists in retaining any water that flows through the overflow channel 36 within it.
• the invention provides a sink having improved overflow capability.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Sink And Installation For Waste Water (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=42340796

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (10)

Family Cites Families (15)

• 2009
  • 2009-04-01 US US12/416,473 patent/US20100251477A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2010
  • 2010-03-31 EP EP10722853A patent/EP2414596A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2010-03-31 WO PCT/US2010/029313 patent/WO2010120500A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2010-03-31 CA CA2755503A patent/CA2755503A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2010-03-31 CN CN2010800157192A patent/CN102388190A/zh active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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