WO2001012909A1

WO2001012909A1 - Building accessories

Info

Publication number: WO2001012909A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2000/000142
Authority: WO
Inventors: Timothy Russell Haynes; Clive Rodney Cope; Julian Brenner; Gary Richard Meyer
Original assignee: Timothy Russell Haynes; Clive Rodney Cope; Julian Brenner; Gary Richard Meyer
Priority date: 1999-08-17
Filing date: 2000-08-17
Publication date: 2001-02-22
Also published as: AU7391300A

Abstract

An installation (10) for a bathroom in a building comprises a main panel (12) with a lid (20) thereon. The main panel (10) and lid(20) form a chamber (18) at its rear. A hand basin (30) and a toilet pan (32) is carried on the front face of the main panel (10). A bath (34) is placed against the main panel (10). A cistern for the toilet pan (32) together with pre-formed pipe work is contained within the chamber (18) ready for connection to piping (58) provided in the building. A geyser (60) is also contained within the chamber (18) and is pre-connected to the pipework (58). The geyser (60) may be in the form of three horizontal cylindrical geysers one above the other and connected together in series. Alternatively the main panel (10) has a rounded projection below the hand basin (30) and a vertical drum geyser is contained within the projection.

Description

BUILDING ACCESSORIES

This invention relates to building accessories.

In building houses, and in particular low-cost houses, and high rise apartment blocks significant plumbing costs are incurred in the erection process. Attempts have been made to minimise these costs by pre-forming in factories sanitary installations including hand basins and toilet pans and usually baths which have concealed pre-formed pipes and then installing the preformed units into the buildings being erected. This arrangement has many positive attributes. However many such installations, such as those described in GB 611893; GB 2130617 A; GB 2143559 A and WO 95/02736 are large and bulky and consequently difficult and awkward to transport and, in some cases, to install thus losing much of their attractiveness. Some arrangements such as described in GB 21762310 A are compact. These however require additional plumbing to provide hot water and this too detracts from the advantages of the system.

According to one aspect of invention there is provided an installation for a bathroom in a building (which term as used herein includes houses) comprising a main panel with a lid thereon forming a chamber at its rear, a hand basin and toilet pan carried on the front face of the main panel and a cistern for the toilet pan and pre- formed pipe work is contained within the chamber ready for connection to piping provided in the building characterised in that a geyser is contained within the chamber and is pre-connected to the pipework. The geyser is preierably in the ioriu ol one or more cylindrical geysers, preferably three geysers connected together in series and preferably arranged horizontally one above the other. Alternatively the main panel has a rounded projection below the hand basin and a vertical drum geyser is contained within the projection.

The geysers are preferably electrically operated. The electric power may be delivered to the geyser by means of a cable which is connected directly to the power supply to the building or may be provided with a plug that can be plugged into a power socket .

In the latter arrangement (i.e. that where the main panel has a rounded projection) the hand basin may be formed integrally with the lid.

The cistern preferably does not have a cover. The lid conveniently has an opening above the cistern and a openable cover is placed over the opening.

The installation normally further comprises a bath. The bath and hand basin may be provided with taps for water supply. Preferably however a mixer is provided with a movable spout which is capable of swinging between one position in which it can deliver water to the hand basin and another position in which it can deliver water to the bath.

The bath conveniently has an upper surround and panels formed integrally with and encasing the bath. A plastic block is preferably connected to the underside of the bath for insulation and support purposes .

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings .

In the drawings : - Figure 1 is a front view of a sanitary installation of the invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the installation with the lid raised off the main panel ; Figure 3 is a plan of the installation with the lid removed for clarity; Figure 4 is a front view of a second sanitary installation of the invention, and Figure 5 is a side view of the installation of Figure 4 .

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3 , there is shown a sanitary installation 10 of the invention arranged for use in a bathroom of a high rise building wherein the services are arranged in stacks (not shown) . This installation 10 comprises a main panel 12 having sides 14 so that when placed against a bathroom wall 16 it encloses a shallow parallelipidal chamber 18 . A lid 20 is provided for the chamber 18 . It has a low dependent rim 22 which fits over the main panel 12 and the sides 14 with the rim 22 being received in a groove which is formed at the upper end of the main panel 12 to provide a smooth attractive appearance . The main panel 12 is attached to the rear wall of a bathroom (not shown) by means of a centrally located bracket 26 which will be described more fully below. Two small brackets 27, each having an aperture therethrough, are connected respectively to upper portions of the sides 14 also to facilitate connection of the main panel 12 to the wall.

Centrally carried by the front face 28 of the main panel 12 is a hand basin 30 and to one side thereof is a toilet pan 32 connected to the main panel 12 by brackets (not shown) . A bath 34 is placed against the front face 28 at the other side of the hand basin 30. A mixer 36 having a movable spout 38 is located to one side of the hand basin 30 being arranged so that the spout 38 can be swung from a position in which it feeds water into the hand basin 30 and another in which it will supply water to the bath 3 . The mixer spout 38 has a hot water inlet 40 and a cold water inlet 42, both inlets being controlled by cocks in the usual way. A trap 44 is provided below the hand basin 30 with its lower outlet passing through an aperture in the main panel 12. A trap 48 is connected to the outlet 46 from the bath 34. It has a discharge pipe 50 connected to a pipe 51 passing through the main panel 12. The outlet from the toilet pan 32 also passes through the main panel 12.

On the inside face 54 of the main panel 12 there is carried a cistern 56 for the toilet pan 32, pipework (generally indicated at 58) and a geyser 60. All these parts (with the exception of the bath 34) are pre-connected in the factory. The bath 34 is placed beside the main panel 12 and its outlet attached to the trap 48. The pipework 58 comprises three pipes that are connected to outside pipes forming part of the stack viz a water inlet pipe 62 connected to a source of cold water; a first outlet pipe 64 connected to a waste pipe and a second outlet pipe 66 connected to a soil pipe.

The inlet pipe 62 extends horizontally and projects through one side 14 to be connected to a supply pipe in the stack. At its inside end, the inlet pipe 62 is connected to a pressure reducing valve 68 and then to a T-junction 70. One (72) of the arms of the T-junction 70 leads to the cistern 56 and the other arm 74 leads to a vex'tical connector pipe 76. The connector pipe 76 is joined by a horizontal pipe 77 to a flexible pipe 78 leading to the cold water inlet 42 of the mixer 36. The connector pipe 76 leads to the inlet 80 to the geyser 60, which will be described below. The outlet 82 from the geyser 60 is connected through a flexible pipe 84 to the hot water Tnlet 40 of the mixer 36. Vacuum breaker valves 86 and 88 are provided at the connector pipe 76 (and hence to the inlet 80 to the geyser 60) and to the outlet 82 from the geyser 60 as safety measures as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The inlet pipe 62 and the geyser outlet 82 have horizontal extensions so that hot and cold water can be conveyed through a wall of the bath room to an adjacent kitchen. The outlet pipe 64 in these circumstances will enter the kitchen to be connected to the discharge pipes there . The geyser 60 comprises three elongated horizontal cylinders 90.1, 90.2 and 90.3 each of about 22 litres capacity. These cylinders 90 are connected in series one above the other each by a pair of pipes 92 between adjacent cylinders 90. A heater element (indicated at 91.2) is provided in the lower drum 90.1 together with a thermostat (not shown). There is a drain cock 91.1 to enable the geyser to be drained to enable the heater element 91.2 to be replaced.

The bracket 26 comprises a rectangular hoop of flat plate metal having a vertical front web (not shown) embedded in the main panel 12, a rear web 93 that rests against the wall 16 and upper and lower arms 94 and 95 (the latter being arranged to rest on the floor) . A transverse horizontal member (not shown) welded to the upper end of the front web 94 and also embedded in the main panel 12 gives rigidity to the main panel. A further transverse arm 97 spans the webs a short distance above the lower arm 95. Lugs 96 having eyes therethrough are provided near the upper and lower ends of the main web 92. Fastening bolts (not shown) can pass through these lugs 98 and also the brackets 27 to secure the installation to the rear wall of the bathroom.

A shelf 100 is moulded into one end 14.

The geyser 60 is carried by the transverse member 97 and the shelf 100. The geyser 60 is encased in a block 99 of expanded polyurethane for insulation purposes. It further has an outlet pipe 101.1 connected through a safety valve 101.2 to permit overflow to escape. The cistern 56 does not have a cover in the normal way. An opening 96 is provided in the lid 20 immediately above the cistern 56 for access thereto and a hinged cover 20.1 is provided to close this opening 96. An operating shaft for the cistern __56 passes through the main panel 12 and an operating handle 57 is attached thereto on the front face of the main panel 12.

An access opening 102 covered by a screwed-on louvred plate 104 is provided below the hand basin 30 to facilitate access to the various parts of the geyser 60 and to the pipework.

The main panel 12 together its sides 14 as well as the lid 20 are formed as glass fibre reinforced mouldings with acrylic gel coatings providing a smooth and attractive outside surface. The wall thickness of these mouldings is about 5 mm. The hand basin 30 and toilet pan 32 are robust plastic mouldings and are connected by screws and/or brackets to the main panel 12 as mentioned above which holds them sufficiently firmly for use and transport prior to installation.

Suitable mouldings 105.1 and 105.2 are provided in the main panel 12 to serve as a toilet roll holder 106 and reinforcement adjacent to the toilet pan to carry a hinged toilet pan seat 32.1.

The bath 34 is also a glass fibre reinforced moulding. It has a surround 34.1 and integral side panels 34.2 depending therefrom. A wooden plate (not shown) is moulded into the base and is attached to an block 35 of expanded polystyrene that extends over the major part of the base of the bath 34 for insulation and support purposes. An opening covered by a removable panel 33 is provided to give access to the underside of the bath and in particular the trap 48.

The main panel 12 is 1890 mm wide and 900 mm high. The depth of the chamber 18 is 220 mm.

The installation can easily be man-handled by two workers to be placed into a bathroom. The pipes 62, 64 and 66 can conveniently be connected by a plumber to the appropriate pipes of the service stack, these being the only pipes that require such connection on site (apart from the outlet from the bath as mentioned above) . In addition the geyser may have to be connected by an electrician. The installation is extremely compact enabling it to be used in a very small .bathroom . This is of considerable importance in low cost housing as well as in housing where the floor area is very expensive. Notwithstanding its compactness and the ease with which it can be moved, the installation enables a suitable quantity of hot water to be provided. It requires a minimum of work by skilled artisans on site. The cost of manufacture and installation of the installation is very low reducing the cost of the provision of a bathroom very significantly.

As mentioned above the bath is connected on site, i.e. the trap 48 will be supplied connected to the bath and the discharge pipe 50 will be connected to the pipe 51 once the bath is placed in position. This means that the bath can be delivered separately from the panel . Consequently the parts are not bulky and thus far greater numbers of the units can be conveniently transported in the same space.

The pipework having being prepared in the factory can be tested in the factory environment which enables the pipework to be tested under pressure.

Reference is now made to Figures 4 and 5. In these Figures there is shown a modified installation 110 of the invention. This is generally similar to the installation 10 except as is apparent from the following description and the drawings. Here the main panel 112 has a hemi-cylindrical projection 114 below the hand basin 116 so as to form a chamber 118 of generally "P" shape in plan. A vertical drum geyser 120 is contained within the space behind the projection 114. A one piece lid 122 covers the chamber 118. The hand basin 112 is moulded integrally into the lid 122 and is therefore carried by the main panel 112. The pipework within the chamber 118 is similar to that of the first embodiment requiring a minimum of plumbing as described above, such differences as may exist will be described below or will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The mixer 130 is carried by the lid 122 and is located so that the spout 131 can be moved to deliver water to the hand basin 116 or to the bath 132 if located adjacent to the basin. A flexible outlet pipe 128 leads from the outlet from the hand basin 112 and is bent in such a way that the trap 130 will be beside the geyser 120. This enables the basin 112 to be at a convenient and conventional height. Similarly the connections to the mixer are flexible pipes 134. These f lexible pipes enable the lid 122 to be lif ted for access to the cistern and other parts of the installation in the chamber 118 . An access opening 138 covered by a screwed on louvred plate 140 is provided centrally of the proj ection 114 near its base to facil itate access to the various parts of the geyser 120 .

The bath will normally . be on the side of the ins tallation beside the hand basin but it may be on the s ide adj acent to the toilet pan or in any other convenient pos ition .

An opening may be provided in the lid above the cistern s imilar to the arrangement described above .

This installation 110 is smaller than the installation 10 . The bath can extend beside the chamber 118 and thus can be some 220 mm longer than the bath 34 of the f irst embodiment for the same size bathroom .

The installation 110 is also aesthetically pleasing . The use of a vertical drum geyser 120 further reduces the cos t of production of the ins tallation . The shaping of the lid 122 is such that it gives strength to the lid . Furthermore a soap dish may be formed in the lid and a sl ightly raised peripheral rim may be formed further to improve appearance and strength .

The installation 110 has all or most of the advantages of the installation 10 as will be apparent to those skilled in the art . The invention is not limited to the precise constructional details hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the various dimensions mentioned above may be varied. In the first embodiment the flexible pipes may be replaced by non-flexible copper pipes. The flexible pipes leading to the mixer may be reinforced. Taps may be provided for the bath and/or the hand basin instead of the mixer. Further an enlarged outwardly extending additional panel may be provided having a shower head projecting therefrom. The pipework can be suitably connected, through control valves, to the shower head. An additional splash plate may be provided above the lid. Skirting boards may also be provided at the base of the main panel and bath- panels .

The sanitary installation can be used in bathrooms of any type and in particular in single story low cost housing. Here the pipework will be connected to supply, soil and waste pipes passing through the back wall of the bathroom.

We have found that the plumbing accessory above described has a number of additional advantages to those mentioned above. First, no tiling is required behind the bathroom units. The amount of chopping is minimised and no chasing is required with consequent re-plastering and painting of the bathroom wall. The pipework connections are simple, and being carried out in the factory can be affected by using jigs for laying out connections. This significantly reduces the cost of making these connections. The amount of pipework used as compared to that used in normal plumbing is considerably reduced. There is substantial access behind the cover which means that there are significant savings when maintenance operations have to be carried out. The hand basin and toilet pan are of plastic which gives improved strength and resistance to cracking and chipping. The hand basin and toilet may be connected on site. This means that they can be delivered separately from the panel reducing the requisite space in the transport means but at present it is thought that it is more advantageous to connect them at the factory. The -use of three geyser cylinders 90 of 22 litre capacity or the drum geyser 120 ensures adequate hot water supply which will be immediately delivered to the taps.

We have further found that a competent plumber working properly could install as many as eight bathrooms a day using this arrangement whereas if he were installing conventional bathrooms it may be that he could only install one a day.

Claims

1 An installation for a bathroom in a building comprising a main panel with a lid thereon forming below the lid a chamber at its rear, a hand basin and toilet pan carried on the front face of the main panel and a cistern for the toilet pan and pre-formed and connected pipe work is contained within the chamber ready for connection to piping provided in the building characterised in that a geyser is contained within the chamber and is pre-connected to the pipework.

2 An installation as claimed in claim 1 in which the main panel is flat characterised in that the geyser comprises a plurality of horizontal cylinders arranged one above the other.

3 An installation as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the main panel has a rounded projection below the hand basin and in that a vertical drum geyser is contained within the projection.

4 An installation as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that the hand basin is formed integrally with the lid.

5 An installation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the cistern does not have a cover.

6 An installation as claimed in claim 5 characterised in that the lid has an opening above the cistern and in that a removable cover is placed over the opening. 7 An installation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a bath, characterised in that a mixer is provided with a movable spout which is capable of swinging between one position in which it can deliver water to the hand basin and another position in which it can deliver water to the bath.

8 An installation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a bath having an upper surround characterised bv panels formed integrally with and encasing the bath.

9 An installation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a bath characterised bv a plastic block connected to its underside for insulation and support purposes .