WO2000039417A2

WO2000039417A2 - Wet-room with wall structures and method for building and managing the same

Info

Publication number: WO2000039417A2
Application number: PCT/US1999/030432
Authority: WO
Original assignee: Bruckner, Philip
Priority date: 1998-12-28
Filing date: 1999-12-20
Publication date: 2000-07-06
Also published as: WO2000039417A3; AU2057600A

Abstract

A wall structure (1) for a wet-room includes at least one substantially rectangular plate member (23a...d) supported by a frame (241a...241c; 261a...261c). A gap (VS1, VS1a, VS1b) is provided between the bottom of the plate members and the floor (101) so that water draining from the plate member impacts the floor. A wall member (105) is preferably provided behind the gap, forward of an edge 104 of the floor. Two such facing plate members may define a space (25) therebetween. In that case, the wall member is preferably provided between the gaps of both plate members. One or more of the plate members may be translucent and at least one source of artificial light (29a...29h), e.g. a fluorescent lamp which generates heat when in operation, is arranged adjacent to the back side of the plate members to illuminate the facing side or sides (21; 22) of the wall structure. The light may generate an air curtain at the back of the plate members.

Description

WET-ROOM WITH WALL STRUCTURES AND METHOD FOR BUILDING AND MANAGING THE SAME

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of provisional US patent application 60/113,978, filed December 28, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the building art and specifically to wall constructions for use in wet-rooms. Further, the invention relates to wet-rooms incorporating such wall constructions, to wall structures for wet- rooms, as well as to methods for building and managing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The term "wet-room" as used herein relates to bath rooms, toilets, showers and any type of room where water is used for hygienic, sanitary or general washing or cleaning purposes and includes, but is not restricted to, bathrooms or bathroom units, showers, sanitary blocks, laundry rooms as well as any type of room or cell including at least one plumbing unit of the type where water emanates from an outlet and is drained after being used for washing, flushing or laundering purposes.

As is well known, regular wetting of surfaces in buildings presents problems of water proofing which generally are solved by using water resistant construction materials or coatings, such as organic polymers, metals, glass, ceramics, or the like materials for covering all surfaces which can be expected to become wetted upon regular use. In particular, water tends to enter cracks, especially along edges and in corners, where it can damage the walls.

Frequently, such rooms tend to be relatively dark and humid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen by the many following aspects of the present invention, a wall construction of plates that can be mounted and replaced easily provides a key to a large number of advantages and applications. In particular, the bathroom can be planned, built, maintained and modified with ease on an industrial scale and the wall structure can hold additional devices and circuitry, such as monitors and detectors.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention, to provide a novel wall element for economic construction and maintenance when used for constructing and maintaining wet-rooms of various types as well as in many diverse configurations, either in connection with setting up new buildings, or when improving existing buildings, for various types of usage, be it private, commercial or public.

Furthermore, in another aspect, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel wall element for wet-rooms which may be brightly and evenly illuminated when used while providing a significant ability to become dry rapidly and thoroughly. A further object is to provide for a novel type of wet-room that is well illuminated, dries rapidly and can be planned, built, maintained and renovated easily and economically.

These objects and further advantages apparent from the following specification will be achieved in a first aspect of the invention by a wall structure for a wet-room comprising, at least one substantially rectangular plate member having a front and a back side, said front side forming a surface facing the wet room; a frame for supporting said plate member from said back side to define a space between said back side and a wall; and a gap between the bottom end of the plate member and the floor, such that water dripping from the bottom end impacts the floor.

The plate may be substantially translucent and at least one heat- emitting source of artificial light may be arranged adjacent to said back side for evenly lighting said surface. It is believed that the heat from the light generates an air curtain at said back side of said plate. Preferably, the number of light sources is sufficient to illuminate the entire visible side of the wall structure in an even and preferably essentially homogenous manner to present an evenly bright and anti- depressive appearance. The wall element can have a double set of plate members on each side to provide two visible outer surfaces facing the wet-room while forming an interspace therein between. The plates may be translucent and a sufficient number of the light sources may be distributed in the interspace to brightly and evenly illuminate both visible sides of the wall structure. Preferably, both planar components of the double walled embodiment are arranged in parallel and are essentially coextensive.

In both forms, i.e. with a single visibly exposed surface as well with two exposed surfaces, the light sources will not only brightly and preferably evenly illuminate the visible sides but will also provide for air convection both at the back sides as well as the front sides of the translucent plate member. Preferred means to optimize the air convection effect in the manner of an air curtain will be explained in more detail below.

According to a second aspect the invention, a wet-room comprises a floor, at least one wall surface, at least one plate member forming said wall surface and having a front and a back side, said front side forming said surface; a frame for supporting said plate or tile member; and ventilation means for generating an air current at said back side of said plate or tile member.

In one embodiment, all plate members, or at least a significant number thereof, are (is) translucent and neither opaque nor transparent. Such translucency is conventional and can be achieved by addition of lightly colored or preferably white fillers, by crystallinity effects, minute air inclusions, and the like. The desired degree of translucency is that which will promote a mild and evenly distributed brightness, e.g. approaching that of a so-called Lambert-radiator, when illuminated from the backside.

In another embodiment, only part of the plate members are translucent and the source of artificial light is arranged behind the translucent plate member . The non-translucent plate or tile members are preferably placed behind the sanitary installations. The light source(s) arranged near the backside of each visibly exposed surface of a wall structure according to the invention generate(s) some heat when in operation; however, the amount of heat generated should be sufficiently small in relation to the light output to prevent deterioration of an organic plate material. Fluorescent lamps, typically having a length in the range of from 200 2000 mm with an energy uptake in the range of from about 20 to about 200 Watts are preferred while incandescent lamps are less preferred.

In view of long-term effects of light on polymers, notably in the UV range, it is preferred that the translucent plate or tile members made of organic glasses include conventional stabilizers against negative effects of extended periods of illumination.

Mounting frames and kits for assembling such frames are known in the art for various purposes, such as scaffolding, exposition, construction and the like; by the same token, various types of fastening means are known in the art for setting up mounting frames. Typical examples include elongated elements or braces of various profiles that can be easily mounted in the manner of a scaffold with vertical and horizontal elements and are capable of supporting the plate or tile members in a singleplanar or biplanar manner. Mechanical connections and connecting means, such as bolts or screws, are typical. Magnets and other connecting means could be used, as well. Another problem to be solved by some aspects of the invention lies in providing a wet-room that alleviates the problem of water entering cracks and crevices.

In such an aspect, the invention relates to a wet-room comprising a substantially flat floor, at least one wall surface, a wall panel comprising at least one plate or tile member forming said wall surface, said wall panel having a front and a back side and a bottom end; a frame for supporting said wall panel from behind; and a recess between said bottom end of the wall panel and said floor, wherein an edge of said floor is located in said recess, such that water dripping from said bottom end directly impacts on said floor, i.e. away from the corner floor baseboard.

The recess or gap between the bottom end of the wall panel and the flat floor helps to avoid water collection at the edge of the floor. Furthermore, it hides the edge of the floor, such that the edge can be optimized for being water proof, without having to be aesthetically pleasing. The edge can consist of a dam member, which may be of concrete, for example. Such a dam member can be formed by a pedestal of the frame of the wall construction or a base plate mounted to the frame, for example. In both cases, the wall surface creates a negative foot space.

Such a construction obviates the need for using silicon or rubber sealants along the floor's edges, which decreases costs, increases the installation's life time and avoids the environmental hazards that conventionally originates from using organic solvents.

The recess can communicate with the space behind the wall surface, thus providing a ventilation entry. Preferably, the plate or tile members are separated from neighboring walls, the floor and the ceiling of the wet-room by gaps and are releasably attached to said frame. Hence, there is no direct connection between the walls, ceiling or floor and the plate or tile members, so that the latter can be replaced easily. Further, the invention provides a method for building such a wet- room. This method comprises the steps of rawbuilding a floor of the wet-room as well as a dam structure watertightly bordering at least part of the edge of said floor and installing a frame for holding plate members forming at least one wall of said wet-room, and, after finishing said floor and dam structure, mounting said plate members to said frame, wherein a gap is left open between a lower edge of said plate members and said floor.

In other words, raw building of such a wet-room can be completed before the plate members are mounted. Hence, workflow is simplified because personnel specialized in raw building tasks can move on to other work as soon as the floor and its edges are completed.

In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a wall structure for a wet-room comprising at least one surface facing the wet-room, at least one plate member having a front and a back side, said front side forming said surface; a frame for supporting said plate or tile member from said back side; wherein said frame comprises at least two longitudinal braces extending in an essentially parallel and vertical direction, each of said braces having at least one longitudinally extending groove and forming a channel for drainage of water collected at said wall structure.

In another aspect, the invention also relates to a method for managing wall structures with replaceable surface panels installed in wet-rooms, comprising the steps of attributing at least one unique identification number to at least some of said wet-rooms and storing, in a database, for each of said identification numbers, information regarding the panels required for the wall structures of the corresponding wet-rooms. The fixtures of the wet-room may also be similarly identified in a data-base.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a wet-room having at least one wall and comprising a display monitor and/or detectors, such as heat, fire, smoke, movement and moisture detectors mounted to or in said wall as well as to a building comprising a plurality of wet-rooms, display monitors and/or detectors arranged in said wet-rooms, and a electric network connecting said display monitors to a central control station.

The term "plate member" or "panel" is used herein to denote self- supporting structures which are "planar" in the sense that their width and height dimensions are substantially greater than their thickness or gauge. Any material suitable for forming such self-supporting structures may be used. Typical examples are plates formed of a polymer material, such as polyethylene (low or high density types), polypropylene (of any desired tacticity), polyacrylate, polyester, polycarbonate, polyacetal, and the like substances sometimes referred to as organic glasses. Mineral glasses, on the other hand may be used instead of, or in combination with organic glasses for the plate or tile members. The plates may also be metal, such as aluminum, stone, ceramic, porcelain, or suitably treated wood, pressed wood or plywood.

Typically, such plates or tiles have an essentially rectangular form and same or different width and length ("height") dimensions, typically in the range of from at least about 100 mm to about 3000 mm, and a thickness which is small in relative width and length dimensions, a thickness in the range of at least about 1 mm to about 20 mm being typical, specific parameters depending, of course, upon the size of the wall member, the structure of the frame, commercial availability, handling properties, and cost.

The term "floor" is to be used herein to designate any horizontal surface below the wall structure, such as the actual floor of the wet-room, a horizontal surface of a wash basin or shower, the rim of a bath tub, or a sink or tub surrounding. N "frame" is any construction of bars, rods, brackets, spacers, tubes, etc. that is located behind the plates and holds the plates at a distance from the wall floor, ceiling and adjusting walls.

Further preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims as well as in the description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. IN is a diagrammatic side view of wall structure with a single visibly exposed surface in a wet-room according to the invention;

Fig. IB is a diagrammatic front view of the wall structure according to the invention as shown in Fig. 1A; Fig. 2A is a diagrammatic side view of a wall structure similar to that shown in Fig. IN but having two visibly exposed surfaces;

Fig. 2B is a diagrammatic front view of the wall structure of Fig. 2N; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic top view of a wet-room incorporating the invention; Fig. 4 is a semi-diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a brace for use in a supporting frame;

Fig. 5 the top and bottom end of a wall structure resting on a pedestal;

Fig. 6 a wall structure with translucent and non-translucent plates and sanitary installations;

Fig. 7 a cross-sectional view of a brace with two plates attached thereto;

Fig. 8 is cross-sectional view of an alternative to the embodiment Fig. 7; Fig. 9 a sectional view of a wall construction with a first type of bathtub;

Fig. 10 a sectional view of a wall construction with a second type of bathtub; Fig. 11 a first step of a method for building a wet-cell, Fig. 12 a second step of the method of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 a third step of the method of Fig. 11; Fig. 14 a fourth step of the method of Fig. 11; Fig. 15 a first step of another method for building a wet-cell, Fig. 16 a second step of the method of Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 a third step of the method of Fig. 15; Fig. 18 a fourth step of the method of Fig. 15; Fig. 19 a fifth step of the method of Fig. 15; and Fig. 20 a wet-room with display monitors and detectors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A wall structure 1 shown in Figs. 1 A and IB in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is formed by a single translucent panel or plate 11 of UN-stabilized polyethylene including a white mineral filler, for example. The plate 11 is mounted on a pair of vertical braces 14a, 14b interconnected by two horizontal braces 16a, 16b to form a frame which may, but need not, be connected with a regular back wall 103 of wet-room 10 by means of horizontal braces 16c, 16d. The frame supports the plate 11 from behind. The back wall may be concrete, brick or sheet rock, for example.

In a space 25 behind plate 11, four fluorescent lamps 19a ... 19d are connected with vertical braces 16a, 16b of the frame which supports translucent plate 11. Electrical connections and switches (not shown) are provided to actuate illumination of wall structure 1 in a bright and essentially even if not uniform manner. The fluroescent lamps 19a ... 19d or other such lights may be part of the plate or panel, as well. Plate 11 has a lower edge Ki and an upper edge K2 distanced from flat floor 101 and roof 102 of room 10 by ventilation gaps or slots VS1 and VS2, respectively. The slots VS1, VS2 extend substantially across the entire width of plate 11 ; the width of slot VS 1 , on the other hand, is at least equal to the thickness of plate 11 ; preferably, the width of lower ventilation slot VS1 is at least twice the thickness of plate 11. It is believed that a relatively small width of lower ventilation slot VS1 is an essential feature of a preferred embodiment of the invention since it improves formation of an essentially homogeneous laminar flow of air along the backside of plate 11, i.e. the side closer to light sources 19a ... 19d. Obviously, such air flow is caused by the mild heat light generated by light sources 19a ... 19d. While not wishing to be bound by a specific theory, it is assumed that the laminar flow of air caused by the heat generated by the light sources provides for a temperature distribution such that moisture evaporates rapidly and from even the least accessible parts of the wall structure. To maximize this effect, the distance between upper edge K2 as well as the side edges K3 and K4 (Fig. IB) and the adjacent concrete (or other type) walls should be at least as large as the ventilation slot VS1 formed between lower edge Kl of plate 11 and floor 101. Generally, VS2 can be substantially larger than VS1, e.g. by a factor of at least about 10. As can be seen in Fig. IB, plate 11 is separated by gaps or slots VS1 and VS2 from the floor and ceiling of the wet-room, respectively, as well as by gaps or slots VS3 and VS4 from the neighboring walls 103 and 104, respectively. Furthermore, plate 11 is releasably attached to frame 14a,b, 16a,b. Thus, removing plate 11 is easy. An upstanding wall or dam 105 is preferably provided connected to the floor 101, between the gap VS1 and the back wall 103. The dam 105 preferably has a height equal to or, more preferably slightly greater than the height of the gap VS1 between the plate member 13 and the floor 101. The dam 105 prevents moisture from reaching and collecting along the edge 104. In Fig. 1 A and Fig. IB, the frame does not extend to the floor. The frame may, however, extend to the floor behind the dam 105. In that case, a spacer may be provided between the frame and the panel, to position the panel forward of the dam 105. Test results obtained so far have shown that the growth of fungi of the type typical in conventional wet-rooms is effectively prevented with the design of the present invention, due probably to both the absence of resident moisture and the impact of light. It will be noted that no plumbing is shown in the figures of the drawings which are intended to be quite diagrammatic and to illustrate the novel features of the invention; in practice, any type of installation, e.g. shower heads, armatures, washing basins etc. can be provided in room 10 which has conventional walls except that one wall is covered by a wall structure 11 according to the invention having but a single visibly exposed side transforming what otherwise would be a darkish cubicle into a brightly lit wet-room. It is also possible to provide all walls with wall structures 11. In addition, the plates or panels can contain or include cabinets, shelves or mirrors, for example. The plates or panels can also be hingeably supported along one edge so that the wall structure 11 may be pivoted open and closed to form an access door to the sanitary plumbing or to form a cabinet such as a medicine cabinet.

Furthermore, the frame 14a, 14b, 16a, 16b of the wall structure can be used to attach and hold sanitary installations, plumbing, wash basins, etc.

Figs 2A and 2B illustrate a wall structure according to the invention similar to that shown in Figs. IN, IB except that wall structure 2 has two visibly exposed surfaces 21, 22, each formed by a panel of four plate members 23a ... 23d defining an interspace 25 between them. The plate members 23a ... 23d are supported by a frame formed of vertical braces 241a ... 241c and horizontal braces 261a ... 261c and horizontal bars 28a, 28b, 28c. Further, four pairs of fluorescent lamps 29a, 29c; 29b, 29d, 29f, 29g, 29e, 29h are provided, two for each plate element, to provide bright yet mild illumination of both the visible faces or sides 21, 22 of wall structure 2. Length and light output of the lamps depend upon the size of the wall. A lamp length of about 600 - 1000 mm and an energy uptake of 40 - 60 Watts is typical for a wall with two visibly exposed and illuminated sides and a vertical dimension in the range of from 2000 - 3000 mm. Again, a ventilation slot VS1 is formed at the lower end of both sides 21, 22 and a rim 209 is provided within the interspace 25, e.g. to receive plumbing and/or as a water dam. Plumbing and other installations can also be mounted to the frame of the wall structure. For stabilizing the frame of the embodiment of Fig. 2a, 2b, the vertical braces 241a ... 241c are preferably attached to the ceiling 202 of the wet- room. The horizontal bar 28c is supported by and attached to the top surface of water dam 209. The vertical braces of the frame may be attached to the floor, as well. The term "plate member" or "panel" is used herein to denote self- supporting structures which are "planar" in the sense that their width and height dimensions are substantially greater than their thickness or gauge. Any material suitable for forming such self-supporting structures may be used. Typical examples are plates formed of a polymer material, such as polyethylene (low or high density types), polypropylene (of any desired tacticity), polyacrylate, polyester, polycarbonate, polyacetal, and the like substances sometimes referred to as organic glasses. Mineral glasses, on the other hand may be used instead of, or in combination with organic glasses for the plate or tile members. The plates may also be metal, such as aluminum, stone, ceramic, porcelain, or suitably treated wood, pressed wood or plywood.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic top view of a wet-room 30 suitable e.g. for a fitness club, a gymnasium, athletics club or the like. An inner cubicle 30a, e.g. a shower cabin, is encompassed by an outer room 30b, both rooms 30a and 30b being formed by wall structures according to the invention of which both the outer sides 32a as well as the inner sides 31b can be formed by wall structures according to the invention; edge faces 39a, 39b, 39c and 39d are also formed by translucent plate elements and are illuminated from within the biplanar wall structures. A wash stand 35 including basins 36a, 36b, sitting benches (not shown) and any other installations typical for wet-rooms of this type such as dryers can be installed as needed. Often, wet-rooms of fitness or athletic clubs are located in basement portions which by their very nature may tend to evoke a depressing atmosphere. However, when formed by wall structures according to the invention, a luminosity is provided which can be shown to be anti-depressive and optimistic, aside from being easy to build and maintain.

Fig. 4 illustrates, in a semi-diagrammatic cross-sectional view, a preferred feature of a vertical brace 14 or 261 for a supporting frame of a wall structure according to one aspect of the invention. Brace 4 has a profile provided with at least one longitudinally extending groove 44, preferably with one groove 45, 46, 47 in each outer face. Adjoining plate elements 11a, 1 lb attached to brace 4 in a manner known in the art are mounted such that their edges 421, 431 are flush with the sides of groove 44, as shown in solid line, or extend slightly over the grove 44, as shown by the dotted line extension 421a, 421b, forming together a vertical channel of some depth. The back side of the vertical channel 44 is forward of the dam 105, so that moisture in the groove drains to the floor, forward of the dam 105. As a matter of practice, neither sealing composition nor sealing stripes nor the like seals as required between adjacent plate or tile elements, or between plate elements and adjacent members of the supporting frame. In fact, absence of sealing requirements is another advantage of the invention since sealing sites of wet-rooms have a tendency to support growth of fungi and are difficult to take apart.

A further important aspect of the invention lies in the fact that the edges 104, 204 of the flat floor 101, 201 are set back in a recess formed by gaps or slots VS1 (see Figs. 1A, 2A). Water dripping from the panels, plates and grooves thus hits the flat floor, not the floor's edge, hence the sensitive edge area is kept dry. Furthermore, the edge is hardly visible or invisible in the recess, such that it can be formed by any type of suitable dam, such as a concrete dam. In Fig. 1A, edge 104 is formed by the intersection of floor 101 with back wall 103. In Fig. 2 A, edge 204 is formed by the intersection of rim 209 with floor 201. The dam 105 bordering the floor can also be formed by a pedestal 17 of the wall structure, as shown in the embodiment of Fig. 5. The pedestal 17 forms the edge 104.

In Fig. 5, the frame is secured to a top surface of the pedestal 17. The panel or plate 11 is held by a frame comprising two layers of vertical braces 14', 14" interconnected by horizontal bars 28. A spacer bar 15 is located between braces 14' and plate 11.

In order to be invisible from the user's point of view, spacer bar 15 must be covered by plate 11, at least at its bottom end. For this purpose, lower edge Kl of plate 11 is located below the lower end of spacer 15. Lower edge Kl can even be located horizontally in front of pedestal 17, as indicated by dashed lines Kl', but lower edge Kl never meets horizontal floor 101. Hence, plate 11 never forms a corner with floor 101.

If both the floor 101 and the pedestal 17 are made of concrete, no sealing of edge 104 is required. Water collected in plate 11 drops onto the free surface of floor 101, where it can dry easily.

Again, slot VS 1 forms a recess, and edge 104 is located in setback manner within this recess. Slot VS1 also forms a ventilation opening for letting air pass into space 25 behind plate 11. Alternatively, the dam 105 may be connected to the plate 11 by a horizontal wall, for example, forming a closed recess between the plate 11 and the floor 101.

In the present embodiment, plumbing, such as a tube 18, may enter through pedestal 28 and exit through the ceiling 102 above. Sanitary installations, such as faucets or showers, can be attached to the frame through plate 11 and be connected to tube 18.

Further, the space 25 behind plate 11 can communicate with the building's ventilation system. In Fig. 5, an air duct 49 of the ventilation system is located behind plate 11 for pulling air from or blowing air into space 25. In this case, the sources of artificial light may not be required for maintaining air circulation.

Fig. 6 shows a front view of a further embodiment of the invention, where the panel consists of three translucent plates 23b, 23c, 23d and one non- translucent plate 23a, wherein all plates are arranged in a common vertical plane. The non-translucent plate 23a can e.g. carry tiles such as they are regularly used in bathrooms. A wash basin 40 and a recessed cabinet 41 are located in or on the non- translucent plate 23a. The wash basin (or any further sanitary installation) is affixed through non-translucent plate 23a to horizontal struts 26 Id, 26 le of the frame. Just like in the preceding embodiments, the whole wall structure can be ventilated through slits VS1, VS2.

The embodiment of Fig. 6 can either be part of a double-wall such as shown in Fig. 2A or a side wall such as shown in Fig. 1A.

Fig. 20 shows a further embodiment of the invention. Here, a wall, constructed similar to the one of Fig. 6, again comprises four plates 23a - 23d, wherein the upper plates 23b and 23d are translucent, while the lower plates 23a and 23c are non-translucent. Urinals 61 are mounted to lower plates 23a and 23c. Furthermore, an LCD-monitor 62 is embedded in the plate above the monitor. It is used for displaying information, commercials, entertainment programs, etc. Furthermore, a person detector 63 is arranged beside each urinal, and a vibration or anti-theft detector 64 is attached to each plate. Presence detector 63 is used for detecting if a person is located in front of urinal 61 and can e.g. trigger automatic flushing. Vibration or anti-theft detector 64 is used for detecting attempts to damage the toilet, remove LCD-monitor 62, etc. Both detectors 63, 64 are mounted to the plate 23a, 23c of the wall construction. They, as well as the LCD-monitor 62 are connected via an electronic bus system to a central control station somewhere in the building. Further detectors, such as fire detectors, as well as other electronic devices, such as loudspeakers, can be mounted within or on the wall structure and be hooked up to the electronic bus system. In this way, the central control station can monitor the state of each wet room or component thereof.

Due to the modular architecture of the wall structure, such circuitry can be installed, wired, maintained, accessed and replaced easily. However, the idea of providing wet-rooms, and in particular a toilet or urinal, with a monitors for displaying information is not limited to the wall structure described here.

The display monitors 61 and detectors are preferably used in larger buildings with a plurality of restrooms. In this case, an electronic network is used for connecting the monitors 61 to the central control station. The control station feeds suitable programs to the monitor.

As mentioned above, plate 11 or 23 is releasably attached to the frame of the wall structure. In the embodiment of Fig. 5, hooks 70 are attached to spacer bar 15 for reaching into a notch at bottom edge Kl of plate 11 and brackets 71 hold plate 11 at its top edge K2. Alternatively, plate 11 may be attached to the frame using various other means, such as screws, magnetic pads, etc.

As shown with the example of recessed cabinet 41, the plates can contain openings for receiving various elements, such as lighting fixtures (especially if no lamps are arranged behind the plates), storage compartments, etc.

Fig. 7 shows an example of how to attach two plates 11a, 1 lb to a vertical brace 14, in a set-up similar to Fig. 4. Here, brace 14 is provided with four longitudinal grooves, one on each side. First screws 51 with expanding nuts 52 reach into the lateral grooves 45, 47 and hold angle brackets 53. Second screws 54 extend through plates 11a, l ib and to hold them against the angle brackets 53.

Fig. 8 shows an alternative to the construction of Fig. 7, where both plates are held by common screws 55 screwed into brace 14 for pulling platelets 56 against plates 11a, l ib.

In the embodiments described above, the recess at the bottom end of the wall forms an entry slot VS1, VSla, VSlb to the space 25 behind the plates or panels for ventilation purposes. If no ventilation is desired, however, the connection between the recess and the space behind the plates or panels can be closed. For example, as mentioned above, the dam 105 may be connected to the back of the plate by a horizontal wall.

In the embodiments shown so far, the vertical gaps between adjoining plates are closed by the vertical braces behind them. If there are no such braces, the gaps can be sealed by any other means, such as mullions.

As mentioned before, the wall structures according to the present invention can also be mounted above sinks, bathtubs, shower basins, etc. A first such embodiment is shown in Fig. 9. Here, a bathtub 250 has a horizontal ledge extending below plate 11 to contact the outer wall 103 by means of a sealing strip 251. Again, a slot or recess VS1 is created below lower edge Kl of plate 11. In this embodiment, simple horizontal spacer rods 16c are used as a frame for the wall structure to hold the same at a distance from wall 103.

Fig. 10 shows a construction for an alternative bathtub design. Here, bathtub 250 rests on a ledge 252. Ledge 252 reaches into the recess below plate 11 and contacts wall 103.

Since the plates or panels 11 are mechanically separated from the surrounding floor and ceiling and can be mounted and dismantled without damaging the same, the procedure for constructing the wet-cell is simplified. For an embodiment of the type shown in Fig. 5, where at least part of the mains or tubes, as well as other electric installations, data bus lines for computer networks, etc., are to enter through a pedestal, this method is illustrated in Figs. 11 - 14.

Fig. 11 shows the state where two tubes or ducts 18 are entering through floor 101. In Fig. 12, the tubes or ducts 18 are cast into concrete to form pedestal 17, and a wall 103 (Fig. 13) may be drawn up behind the pedestal. Raw building is completed at this point. As shown in Fig. 13, the frame is mounted to pedestal 17. Any installation parts that are to lie behind the plates 11 are attached to the tubes or ducts 18 and the frame. Finally, as shown in Fig. 14, the plates 11 are now attached to the frame as part of the finishing installation.

For the embodiment of Fig. la, lb without a pedestal, a building method is shown in Figs. 15 19. In a first step shown in Fig. 15, floor 101 as well as the wet-cell's ceiling are provided with openings 60 for receiving the tubes 18 or mains, electric or electronic installations, computer bus lines, etc. As shown in Fig. 16, the tubes 18 etc. are installed to enter and exit through openings 60 in the ceiling and floor. In a next step, the frame is installed and any remaining walls 103' are drawn up. Now, as shown in Fig. 17, the dam 105 is positioned against the frame. The dam 105 can be an L- or I-shaped profile, for example. Raw building of the floor can now be completed, e.g. by pouring fine concrete onto it, thereby sealing it against L-shaped profile 105. Any installation parts that are to lie behind the plates 11 as well as spacer bars 15 are attached to the frame. Finally, the plates 11 are attached to the frame as part of the finishing installation as shown in Fig. 19. In both cases, the floor and the dam structure bordering its outer edge can be built in a first step, creating a horizontal containment of the wet-cell. At this point, raw building of the wet-cell is complete and any personnel specialized in this kind of work can move on to other tasks. The system of tubes and any other installations behind the plate, such as lighting fixtures, are completed, and the wall plates are mounted to the frame in a second step.

The floor remains structurally independent from the walls of the wet- cell because the two are separated by a gap.

From a commercial point of view the invention provides significant advantages in various fields: attractive wet-rooms can be built with very little masonry work, if any. Both the costs of the materials required as well as the cost of constructing, assembling and setting up wall structures and wet-rooms according to the invention are very low when compared with conventional wet-room constructions. No particular sophistication is required in manufacture. If thermal air currents are to be generated, operation requires only a very limited light energy input of typically in the range of 20 - 60 Watts per square meter of illuminated wall surface. Further, since the wall structures can easily be opened by removing the panels, the space behind them can be accessed quickly, which simplifies maintenance of sanitary or electric components. After maintenance, the panels or plate members can be screwed or snapped back onto the frame without any tiling or masonry work. Since the panels or plate members form the visual "interface" of the wall and since they can be replaced, the appearance of the wet-room can be changed easily.

All elements of the wall structure and wet-room can be prefabricated industrially and onsite installation is easy.

The gap or recess between the lower edge of the plate members and the floor simplifies cleaning of the bathroom. There are no cracks or thin slits that could accumulate dirt or waste.

Since the elements of the wall structure, and in particular the plate or panels forming the visual interface of the same, can be replaced easily, it is a further aspect of the invention to provide a method for building and managing wet-rooms with replaceable panels or plates in an efficient manner.

For this purpose, each wet-room is an identification number. The term "identification number" designates, in this context, any numeric or alphanumeric string of data, such as a customer number, address, etc., that can be represented as a binary value in a computer.

When equipping a wet-room, a tag (such as tag 50 shown in Fig. 6) is affixed to it and/or to its components, such as the wall plates. This tag shows the identification number of the wet-room or the component, respectively. Furthermore, the number and type of the fixtures installed in the wet-room, such as the fixtures, toilets, sinks and mirrors, and any further pertinent information is recorded in a central data base, together with the identification number. This information can comprise the size, material and arrangement of the plates that were used for building its wall structures, for example. Later, when the any part of the wet-room, in particular the plates or the fixtures, has to be replaced, the data base is queried by entering the room's identification number and retrieving the information stored. This information is sufficient for ordering replacement plates of the correct size and shape. This system can also be used for designing wet-rooms. Even at this early stage, a unique identification number can be attributed to each design project. The wet-room is then modeled in a computer, and, once the design has been approved, the information describing the wet-room can easily be stored into the above data base. The identification number may be indicated on a tag, which is then affixed in the wet-room.

The system can be installed on a computer network, preferably, with world wide access, such as the Internet. Therefore, design, maintenance, ordering, billing, etc. can be carried out anywhere.

In the following claims, multiple dependencies have been cancelled to comply with regulations of the search authority. It is to be understood that any dependent claim is to depend on any of the preceding claims in the regional and national offices where such a dependency is allowable.

While there are shown and described presently preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A wet-room, comprising: a substantially flat floor; a wall panel comprising at least one plate member (11; 11a, 1 lb; 23, 23ad) forming a wall surface (21, 22), said wall panel having a front side, a back side and a bottom end; a frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261) for supporting said wall panel from behind; and a gap (VS1, VSla, VSlb) between said bottom end of the wall panel and said floor, the gap and a region behind the gap forming a recess, such that water dripping from said bottom end impacts said floor.

2. The wet-room of claim 1, further comprising: a space (25) at the back side of said wall panel between said wall panel and a back wall (103) behind said wall panel, wherein said frame is arranged in said space, said space communicating with at least one lower and at least one upper gap below and above said panel, respectively, wherein said lower gap opens into said recess.

3. The wet-room of claim 1, further comprising a wall member (17, 105, 209) bordering said floor (101) below said frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261), wherein said wall member is behind the gap, forming a back end of said recess.

4. The wet-room of claim 3, wherein said wall member defines a top surface and said frame is supported by said top surface, said frame supporting the wall panel forward of the wall member.

5. The wet-room of claim 1, further comprising sanitary installations attached to said frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261).

6. The wet-room of claim 1, comprising translucent and non- translucent plate members and at least one source of artificial light arranged behind said translucent plate members.

7. The wet-room of claim 6, further comprising sanitary installations attached to said frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261) through said non- translucent tile members.

8. The wet-room of claim 1, wherein said plate or tile members are separated from neighboring walls (103, 104), the floor (101) and the ceiling (102) of the wet-room by gaps and are releasably attached to said frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261).

9. The wet-room of claim 1, comprising a tag carrying a unique identification number attributed to said wet-room.

10. The wet-room of claim 1, wherein said frame is attached to a vertical back wall (103) behind said frame.

11. The wet-room of claim 1 , wherein said frame is attached to a vertical back wall, the floor (101) and the ceiling of (102) the wet-room.

12. A method for building a wet-room comprising: building a floor of the wet-room, said floor having an edge; building a dam structure forward of at least part of said edge of the floor, said dam structure water-tightly bordering the at least part of the edge of the floor; installing a frame for holding plate members forward of the dam structure, for forming at least one wall of said wet-room; and after finishing said floor and dam structure, mounting said plate members to said frame, leaving a gap between a lower edge of said plate members and said floor.

13. N wall structure for a wet-room comprising: at least one substantially translucent and substantially rectangular plate member (11; 11a, l ib; 23, 23ad) having a front and a back side, said front side forming a surface (21, 22) facing the said wet room; a frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261) for supporting said plate member (11; 11a, l ib; 23, 23ad) from said back side; at least one heat-emitting source of artificial light ( 19a,b;

20ah) arranged adjacent to said back side for evenly lighting said surface (21, 22) (11; 11a, l ib; 23, 23ad); and ventilation means for permitting access of ambient air to a lower end of said wall structure and outflow of air from an upper end of said wall structure.

14. The wall structure of claim 13, wherein said ventilation means comprises an essentially linear horizontal gap (VS1) formed between said plate or tile members (11; 11a, l ib; 23, 23ad) and a lower end of said wall structure.

15. A wall structure dividing a wet-room comprising: rectangular plate members (11; 11a, 1 lb; 23, 23ad) forming a first and a second surface (21, 22) each facing the wet-room; a frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261) for supporting said plate members in an essentially planar and mutually distanced manner to form an essentially vertical interspace (25) between said plate members; and a gap between a bottom end of the plate members and the floor.

16. The wall structure of claim 15, wherein at least some of the plate members are translucent, the structure further comprising at least one heat- emitting source of artificial light arranged in said interspace (25).

17. The wall structure of claim 15, wherein said first surface (21) is formed by a first group of essentially coplanar plate members supported by said frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261) at one side thereof, and wherein said second surface (22) is formed by a second group of essentially coplanar plate members supported by said frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261) at a second side thereof, said first and said second group of plate members forming said interspace (25); and said wall structure further comprising a second gap between an upper end of the plate members and the ceiling (VSla, VSlb, VS2a, VS2b), wherein ambient air has access to a lower end of said interspace (25) and air flows out from an upper end of said interspace, through said first and second gaps, respectively (25).

18. A wet-room comprising : a floor; at least one wall structure having a surface (21, 22); at least one plate member (11; 11a, 1 lb; 23, 23 ad) having a front and a back side, said front side forming said surface (21 , 22) and said back side facing a space (25) behind said plate member, a frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261) located in said space for supporting said plate or tile member (11; 11a, 1 lb; 23, 23ad); at least one ventilation opening (VS1, VS2, VS3, VS4) to said space (25); and ventilation means (19ad, 29ah, 49) for generating an air current through said ventilation opening and said space (25).

19. The wet-room of claim 18, having a first ventilation opening (VSl) at a bottom of said wall structure and a second ventilation opening (VS2) at a top of said wall structure, wherein said ventilation means comprises at least one heat-emitting source of artificial light (19a,b; 20ah) for generating air convection between said first and said second ventilation openings, wherein said plate member is at least partially translucent.

20. The wet-room of claim 18, further comprising an air duct (49) opening into said space for carrying air into or out of said wet-room.

21. A wall structure for a wet-room comprising: at least one surface (21, 22) facing the wet-room; at least one plate member (11, 11a, 1 lb) having a front and a back side, said front side forming said surface (21, 22); a frame (14, 16; 241, 242, 261) for supporting said plate member from said back side; wherein said frame comprises at least two longitudinal braces

(14, 261) extending in an essentially parallel and vertical direction, each of said braces (14, 261) having at least one longitudinally extending groove (44, 47) and forming a channel for drainage of water collected at said wall structure.

22. The wall structure of claim 21, further comprising angle brackets (53) joining said plate member to said braces, wherein said angle brackets are attached to lateral grooves (45, 47) of said wall structure.

23. A method for managing wall structures with replaceable surface panels installed in wet-rooms, comprising: attributing at least one unique identification number to at least some of said wet-rooms and storing in a database, for each of said identification numbers, information regarding the panels required for the wall structures of the corresponding wet-rooms.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising replacing at least one panel of one of said wet-rooms by querying said data base using the identification number of the wet-room, retrieving said information regarding the panels required for said wet-room, and providing at least one fitting replacement panel for said wet-room using said information.

25. The method of claim 23, comprising affixing in each wet- room a tag showing said identification number of said wet-room.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said information describes the size and shape of said panels.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising: attributing at least one unique identification number to at least some of said wet-rooms and storing in a database, for each of said identification numbers, information regarding the panels required for the wall structures of the corresponding wet-rooms.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising replacing at least one fixture of said wet-rooms by querying said data base using the identification number of the wet-room, retrieving said information regarding the fixtures required for said wet-room, and providing at least one fitting replacement fixture for said wet-room using said information.

29. The wet-room of claim 1, further comprising a display monitor mounted to at least one of said wall panels.

30. The wet-room of claim 1, further comprising at least one detector mounted to at least one of said wall panels.

31. The wet-room of claim 30, wherein the detector is chosen from the group consisting of an anti -theft detector, a smoke detector, a fire detector, a movement detector and a heat detector.

32. The wet-room of claim 29, further comprising at least one urinal, wherein said display monitor is mounted above said urinal.

33. The wet-room of claim 29, comprising a wall structure having at least one plate member forming a surface of said wall structure, wherein said display monitor is mounted in an opening in said plate member.

34. A building comprising a plurality of wet-rooms, display monitors arranged in said wet-rooms, and a electric network connecting said display monitors to a central control station.

35. The wet-room of claim 15, further comprising a wall member (105) extending upward from the floor, between the gaps.

36. The wet-room of claim 35, wherein said gaps each have the same height and the height of said wall member is at least equal to the height of the gaps.

37. The wet-room of claim 36, wherein the height of the wall member is greater than the height of the gaps.

38. The wet-room of claim 35 , wherein the wall member has a top surface supporting the frame.

39. The wet-room of claim 3, wherein said gap has a height and the height of the wall is at least equal to the height of the gap.

40. The wet-room of claim 39, wherein the height of the wall is greater than the height of the gap.

41. The wet-room of claim 3, further comprising a vertical back wall behind the frame, the vertical back wall forming an edge with the floor, the edge being behind the wall member.