Sink and method of installing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10550558-B2
Application number	US-201715662863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2017
Priority date	Jul 28, 2016
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A method of installing a sink in a worktop cut-out, including: (a) providing a sink with: a bowl with a bottom wall and a circumferential side wall; at least one outlet opening located in the bottom; a circumferential rim located at an upper edge of the bowl and extending outwardly from the side wall by an extent (E); resilient clamping elements arranged on the outside of the bowl adjacent the rim, that in a free or uncompressed state, extend outwardly beyond the extent (E), and which provide, in a loaded state, a clamping force outwardly from the side wall; (b) making the worktop cut-out larger in dimension than a rim area but smaller than an envelope around the uncompressed clamping elements while defining a cut-out side wall extending at right angles to upper and lower surfaces of the worktop; (c) placing the sink in the cut-out so that the cut-out side wall is located opposite the rim, the sink being centered within the cut-out by the clamping elements, which are compressed between the cut-out side wall and the sink.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A workplace comprising a sink ( 1 ), said sink comprising:
at least one bowl ( 2 ) with a bottom wall ( 3 ) and a circumferential side wall ( 4 );
at least one outlet opening ( 3 a ) located in said bottom wall ( 3 );
a circumferential rim ( 5 ) located at an upper edge of said bowl ( 2 ) around an outside thereof, said rim ( 5 ) extending outwardly from said side wall ( 4 ) by a lateral extent (E);
a plurality of resilient clamping elements ( 6 ) arranged on the outside of said bowl ( 2 ) adjacent said rim ( 5 ), said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ), in a free or uncompressed state thereof, extend outwardly beyond the lateral extent (E) of said rim ( 5 ), and said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ) are configured to provide, in a loaded or compressed state thereof, a clamping force outwardly from said side wall ( 4 );
a worktop ( 11 ), said worktop ( 11 ) having a cut-out ( 11 a ) therein, in which said sink ( 1 ) is installed, said cut-out ( 11 a ) defining a cut-out side wall ( 11 b ) extending at right angles with respect to an upper surface ( 11 d ) and a lower surface of said worktop ( 11 ), said cut-out side wall ( 11 b ) is located opposite said rim ( 5 ), and said sink ( 1 ) is centered within said cut-out ( 11 a ) by said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ), which are compressed between said cut-out side wall ( 11 b ) and said sink ( 1 ); and
an adhesive sealing joint located around an outward facing surface of said rim ( 5 ), between said sink ( 1 ) and said cut-out side wall ( 11 b ), and above said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ),
a distance or gap between said rim ( 5 ) and said cut-out side wall ( 11 b ) is uniform around said sink, and
an upper face of said rim ( 5 ) defined along an outermost edge of the rim ( 5 ) is coplanar with said upper worktop surface ( 11 d ).

2. The workplace according to claim 1 , wherein said rim ( 5 ) is configured in solid material or is configured by outward and downward bending of the side wall ( 4 ) material.

3. The workplace according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ) are compressible inwardly toward said side wall ( 4 ) to an extent that said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ) do not extend outwardly beyond said lateral extent (E) of said rim ( 5 ).

4. The workplace according to claim 1 , wherein a clamping force per unit length of said side wall ( 4 ), as caused by said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ) in said loaded or compressed state thereof, is evenly distributed around the sink ( 1 ), by at least one of adjusting a number of the plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ), a mutual spacing between individual clamping elements ( 6 ) of said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ), or a clamping force of individual clamping elements ( 6 ) of said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ).

5. The workplace according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of clamping elements ( 6 ) each comprise at least one spring element which is hook-shaped in cross section with a first leg ( 6 a ) extending parallel to said side wall ( 4 ) and downwardly from said rim ( 5 ), a second leg ( 6 b ) extending outwardly from said first leg ( 6 a ) and from said side wall ( 4 ), and a third leg ( 6 c ) extending outwardly from said second leg ( 6 b ) and from said side wall ( 4 ), said third leg ( 6 c ) at least partially overlapping with said first leg ( 6 a ).

6. The workplace according to claim 5 , wherein a free end portion ( 6 d ) of said third leg ( 6 c ) is further angled outwardly from said side wall ( 4 ).

7. The workplace according to claim 1 , wherein said cut-out side wall ( 11 b ) defines an opening that is larger than a perimeter defined by said lateral extent (E) of said rim ( 5 ).

Assignees

• Franke Technology & Trademark

Inventors

• Cagliari Alessandro
• Bomatter Christian W
• Neeser Rolf

Classifications

• E03C1/18 Primary

  Sinks, whether or not connected to the waste-pipe · CPC title

• E03C1/186

  Separate partition walls, lids, protecting borders, or the like, for sinks · CPC title

• E03C1/14

  Wash-basins connected to the waste-pipe · CPC title

• E03C1/33 Primary

  Fastening sinks or basins in an apertured support · CPC title

• A47L17/02 Primary

  Basins (dish-washing tables A47B33/00; sanitary basins A47K1/04; basins connected to waste pipe E03C1/12) · CPC title