GB2508627A

GB2508627A - A top-mount sink unit comprising a peripheral rim

Info

Publication number: GB2508627A
Application number: GB201221922A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Peter Edward Cass; James Anthony Shanks
Original assignee: Project Ff & E Ltd
Current assignee: Project Ff & E Ltd
Priority date: 2012-12-05
Filing date: 2012-12-05
Publication date: 2014-06-11

Abstract

The invention relates to a top mounted sink unit 2 comprising a peripheral rim 10 for mounting to a work-surface 6, at least one basin 12, and an integral draining board 14, with the draining board having an upper margin. The basin and draining board are located in a recess lower than the peripheral rim which has a vertical distance from an upper margin of the draining board to the highest point of the peripheral rim which is at least 8 mm. The peripheral rim may have a rear section with an upstand 18. The sink unit may be manufactured from stainless steel. The unit is preferably fitted within an aperture of a kitchen work surface and may have a clip mechanism for fitting to the work surface.

Description

A Top-Mount Sink

FIELD OF THE iNVENTION

The present invention relates to a top mount sink to be fitted into a work-surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE iNVENTION

The majority of formcd stainless steel sinks available, whether domestic or otherwise, fall into two categories: surface mounted sinks with drainers that are fitted on top of a work-surface, and under-mount sinks that are fitted under a work-surface.

Surface mounted sinks are typically fitted by inserting the sink unit into a large aperture that has been made in the work-surface, and then holding it in place by attaching clips that grip into the side face of the work-surface aperture to tabs on the underside of the sink. Where the outer rim of the sink top face meets the work-surface, a bead of sealant is usually applied to stop water ingress. The top face of the sink where the drainer and bowl are present is usually manufactured to be at the same level or slightly higher than the work-surface top face; therefore, water has the potential to spill over the edge of the sink rim and onto the work-surface relatively easily.

Water and other fluids that spill over from a sink can also travel from the work-surface to other areas such as supporting cabinets, doors, drawers, fascias, plinths and flooring. When water and fluids regularly rest on work-surfaces or cabinets, especially those constructed with chipboard or Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) core board, water ingress can occur, leading to the core material becoming blown and split. This results in an unsightly appearance as well as leaving the internal structure of the board weakened and open to thither damage, mould ingress and an unacceptable hygienic situation. Whilst our co-pending application GB1202412.1 addresses this problem, we have recognised that it would be advantageous to minimise water spillage occurring.

Under-mount sinks are generally designed to be used with work-surfaces whose material properties are resistant to water ingress. However, work-surfaces that lend themselves to an under-mount sink bowl (eg. granite or marble) are generally cost-prohibitive in certain environments such as kitchens in social housing schemes, universities and colleges. The preferred option for these environments arc post-formed laminated work-surfaces; they are cost effective, easy to work with, available in a wide variety of colours, textures and effects as well as having the req uired domestic aesthetic. These types of work-surfaces do not lend themselves to under-mount sink bowls and therefore surface mounted sinks with drainers are the only viable option.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a top-mount sink unit comprising a peripheral rim for mounting to a work-surface, as well as at least one basin and an integral draining board, wherein the basin and draining board are located in a recess lower than the peripheral rim, and wherein the vertical distance from a highest point of the peripheral rim to the upper margin of the draining board is preferably at least around 8 mm. This arrangement provides improved water management and, compared to known sink designs, reduces the chance of water escaping as both the basin and draining board are at a lower level compared to the work-surface than known sink designs.

The vertical distance from the highest point of the peripheral rim to the upper margin of the draining board is preferably at least 20mm, more preferably 28mm or more.

The draining board may slope downwards towards the basin, the upper margin of the draining board being located opposite a lower margin where the basin meets the draining board.

The draining board may comprise ribs which can be either higher or lower than the upper margin of the draining board. Such ribs assist with the drainage of water from crockery etc placed on the draining board A generally vertical wall may extend around at least a portion of an inner perimeter of the peripheral rim, preferably the entire perimeter. Such a wall provides a space efficient way of lowering the draining board and basin A curved transition may connect the vertical wall to the draining board and/or basin.

Such an arrangement makes the sink easier to clean.

The sink unit thither comprises an upstand located on the rear side. This also helps to stop water from escaping and spilling on the work-surface that the sink unit is mounted on.

A tap may be mounted at a lower level than the peripheral rim. By mounting the tap lower, there is a reduced risk of water spillage directly from the tap.

The sink unit is configured to fit within an aperture of a kitchen work-surface and can be provided with a mechanism to be fitted to the work-surface, meaning that installation is easy.

The sink unit can also be part of an assembly comprising a work-surface with the sink unit fitted, as well as part of an assembly further comprising a support for the work-surface.

The sink unit can be manufactured from stainless steel or a similar sheet material, making it aesthetically suitable for many environments such as domestic kitchens or shared kitchens within a university, college or other type of kitchen or shared kitchen environment. The reduced water transfer from sink to work-surface increases the life-span of work-surfaces and items below work-surface level, but with the sink still maintaining the required domestic aesthetic.

A rear section of the peripheral rim may extend back far enough to cover all the work-surface underneath such that the upstand is substantially aligned with a rear edge of the worktop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. I is an isometric view of the sink unit of the present invention, showing its general shape; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sink unit shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a front view of the sink unit shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a detailed section view of part A of FIG. 3, showing the sink unit when installed on a work-surface; FIG. 5 is a side view of the sink unit shown in FIG. 1; and FIG. 6 is an isometric view, showing thc sink unit as part of an asscmbly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

A sink unit 2 is indicated generally in figure 1, comprising a peripheral rim 10 for mounting to a work-surface 6, a basin 12 for holding a body of water, and a draining board 14, for directing water, that flows off any drying objects placed on the draining board 14, to flow in the direction of thc basin 12. The basin 12 and the draining board 14 arc both set in an accommodation space 4 that is recessed from the peripheral rim 10, to reduce the amount of water that escapes the unit. The entire sink unit 2 is designed to be surface mounted on a standard sized work-surface 6 and is generally rcctangular when vicwed in plan, as shown in figurc 2.

With rcfcrencc to Figurcs 3 and 4, the pcripheral rim 10 is, in this embodiment, a flange extending generally horizontally outwards with an outer and lower lip 11 that sits on top of the work-surface 6 that sink unit 2 is to be fitted to. An inner perimeter of thc rim 10 is dcfined by an intersection with an upper part 16a of a substantiafly vertical wall 16 such that the rim is generally rectangular-shaped when viewed in plan, as shown in figure 2. In this embodiment, the outer lip 11 of the peripheral rim 10 is bent downwards to sit on the work-surface, in use, with the profile of the peripheral rim 10 being shown in cross-section in Figure 4.

The distance the peripheral rim 10 extends outwards horizontally is equal on three sides lOa, lOb and lOc, and is shown in figure 4 as dimension a, which is typically 29mm, although it may vary significantly between, for example, 5mm and 50mm depending on the particular sink design. On a rcar side lOd however, it extends horizontally outwards a greater distancc, shown in figure 5 as dimension b, which is typically 78mm (although will vary dependent upon thc distance at which thc sink is is intended to be mounted from a wall behind).

The rear side lOd of peripheral rim 10 also comprises an upstand 18, a flat face acting as a splash back, shown in figure 3, projecting vertically upwards along the entire length of the rear side lOd at a height of c, as shown in figure 5, which is typically 50mm but may vary significantly. It can be seen that the greater width of the rear part of the peripheral rim lOd, dimension b, ensures that all of the work-surface 6 underneath is covered, such that the upstand 18 is substantially aligned with a rear edge of the work-surface 6. In other embodiments, the upstand 18 my not extend across the frill width, and nor may the rear side lOd of the periphery extend a greater distance across the full width, e.g. one or both may extend behind the basin only.

The vertical wall 16 extends vertically downwards from whcre it mccts the peripheral rim 10 to create a generally rectangular depression following the entire inside perimeter of the peripheral rim 10. At a lowest edge of the vertical wall 16b, there is a transition to a horizontal internal projection, horizontal lip 20. The horizontal lip 20 follows the entire bottom edge 16b of the vertical wall 16.

A general curved portion 22 joins an inside edge 20a of the horizontal lip 10 to either a peripheral portion 24 of the basin 12 or a peripheral portion 25 of the draining board 14. The radius of the general curved portion 22 varies depending on its location. How this radius varies is explained further below.

The peripheral portion 24 of the basin 12 is a horizontal surface that meets the general curved portion 22 at edges 12a, 12b, and 12c. A bowl 26 extends downwardly from this peripheral portion 24. Peripheral portion 24 also has a hole 28 where a tap can be mounted.

As can be seen from the front view in figure 3, the bowl 26 has an overflow hole 30 near the top of the bowl 26, and a plug hole 32 at the lowest point of the bowl 26, in a generally conventional fashion. Figure 5 shows the position of the plug hole 32 in this embodiment, towards the rear of bowl 26.

The draining board 14 slopes downwards towards the basin 12, and the draining board 14 and the basin 12 are joined along a draining board lower margin I 4d, which is the transition that occurs at the lowest point of the draining board peripheral portion 25, where it meets the peripheral portion 24 of the basin 12.

An upper draining board margin 14a of the draining board 14 is at the highest point of thc peripheral portion 25, whcrc it meets thc gcneral curved portion 22, at the oppositc side of the draining board 14 to the basin 12. The vertical distance x from this upper margin 14a to the peripheral rim 10 has a minimum value of 8mm, but is more typicafly at least 20mm, and in this embodiment is 28mm in order to optimise the retention of water within the draining board.

In this embodiment, the draining board 14 consists of five ribs 34 that are raised in order to create seven channels 36 that define a flow path for any water flowing off objects that are placed on the draining board 14. It will be appreciated however, that the draining board 14 can hac a range of different configurations, such that any objects placed on the draining board 14 are lifted enough that any water that falls off the objects will flow downwards away from upper margin 14a, ultimately into the bowl 26. The draining board 14 could also be substantially planar, sloping down towards the basin 12, as long as the configuration results in the water flowing downwards into the bowl 26.

As previously stated, the radius of the general curved portion 22 varies depending on which part of the sink unit 2 it meets at its lowest point. The peripheral portion 24 of the basin 12 has edges 12a, 12b and 12c. A section of the general curved portion 22, adjaccnt to thcse cdgcs 12a, 12b and 12c can be deflncd as curved portion section 22a, and this section is where the general curved portion 22 has its maximum radius.

A further section of the general curved portion 22, adjacent to the draining board 14 upper margin 14a can be defined as curved portion section 22b, and this section is where the general curved portion 22 has its minimum radius.

The draining board 14 has front and rear edges 14b and 14c. A final section of the general curved portion 22, adjacent to the front and rear edges 14b and 14c can be defined as curved portion section 22c, and this section is where the general curved portion 22 transitions from its maximum radius to its minimum radius. Moving from curved portion section 22a towards curved portion section 22b, along the length of curved portion section 22c, the larger radius of curved portion section 22a takes up progressively less of the curve and the smaller radius of curved portion section 22b takes up progressively more of the curve.

Sink unit 2 has tabs 38 protruding downwards from the lower surface of peripheral rim 10 at various points. They are designed to fit standard sink clips which enables easy fitting of sink unit 2 to a standard sized work-surface 6.

As shown in figure 4, the vertical wall 16 has a height of d, which is typically 2 1mm, and the vertical distance from the highest point 16a of the vertical wall 16 to the peripheral portion 24 of the basin is e, which is typically 37mm, this value being determined by it not being desirable for the vertical wall to protrude below the work surface 6. If the work surface is thicker, then there is typically more scope for e to be greater, however. As shown in figure 5, the vertical distance from the peripheral portion 24 to the lowest point of the bowl 26 is f, which is typically 180mm.

Also on figure 4, the height of the peripheral rim 10 above the work surface 6, dependent on the height of the outer lip 11 is g, which is typically 6mm, but at least 3mm, and the thickness of the work-surface 6 is h, which is typically 31mm.

Figure 6, shows the sink unit 2 fitted into an assembly, comprising a worktop 6 and a support 8 for the worktop 6. In this embodiment, the support 8 comprises conventional cupboards of a fitted kitchen.

As an example, in this embodiment, the sink unit 2 is manufactured as follows: firstly the basin 12 is formed using a press, from 1.2mm thick stainless steel. The overflow hole 30 and plug hole 32 are then punched out. A separate piece of 1.2mm thick stainless steel is press formed to create the draining board 14. This piece is then laser cut to the correct size to include all other parts of the sink unit 2. The overall shape of the sink unit 2, including the general curved portion 22, horizontal lip 20, vertical wall 16, peripheral rim 10 and upstand 18, is created by folding the piece. The folded sections are then welded, fettled and finished. The basin 12 is then electronically welded to the folded section and further finishing is carried out. The tabs 38 are then stamped out, before being tack welded and glued into place using a two-part epoxy glue. The sink unit 2 is then finished and cleaned.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Alternatives to the described embodiment include: having different configurations of the basin 12 and the draining board 14 in other embodiments; there could be two draining boards either side of the basin 12, there could be two basins either of equal size or with one having a smaller bowl 26, there could be a different location for the tap hole 28, overflow hole 30 and plug hole 32. Sink unit 2 can also be varied; there might be no hothontal lip 20 or general curved portion 22, meaning the vertical wall 16 extends straight clown with no interruptions from the peripheral rim 10 to the draining board 14 and basin 12.

Claims

Claims 1. A top-mount sink unit comprising: a. a peripheral rim for mounting to a work-surface b. at least one basin; and c. an integral draining board, with the draining board having an upper margin; wherein the basin and draining board are located in a recess lower than the pcriphcral rim, and whcrcin thc vcrtical distancc from a highcst point of thc pcriphcral rim to thc uppcr margin of thc draining board is at lcast 8 mm.
2. A top-mount sink unit according to claim 1 whcrcin thc vcrtical distancc from the highest point of the peripheral rim to the upper margin of the draining board is at least 20mm, more preferably at least 28mm.
3. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein the draining board slopcs downwards towards thc basin, thc uppcr margin of thc draining board being located opposite a lower margin where the basin meets the draining board.
4. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein the draining board comprises ribs which can be either higher or lower than the upper margin of the draining board.
5. A top mount sink according to any preceding claim wherein a generally vertical wall cxtcnds around at Icast a portion of an inner pcrimctcr of thc pcriphcral rim.
6. A top mount sink according to claim 5 whcrcin thc gcncrally vcrtical wall extends around an entire inner perimeter of the peripheral rim.
7. A top mount sink according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein a curved transition connects the vertical wall to the draining board andlor basin.
8. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein a rear section of the peripheral rim comprises an up-stand.
9. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein a tap is mounted at a lower level than the peripheral rim.
10. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein the unit is manufactured from a sheet material.
11. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein the unit is manufactured from stainless steel.
12. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein the unit is manufactured from stainless steel with a thickness of 1mm to 1.5mm.
13. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein the unit is configured to fit within an aperture of a kitchen work-surface.
14. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein the unit can be provided with a mechanism for fitting to a work-surface.
15. A top-mount sink unit according to any preceding claim wherein the unit can be provided with a clip mechanism for fitting to a work-surface.
16. An assembly comprising a work-surface with a sink unit according to any preceding claim fitted thereto.
17. An assembly according to claim 16, further comprising a support for the work-surface.
18. A top-mount sink unit installed in an assembly as according to claim 16 or 17 wherein a rear section of the peripheral rim extends back far enough to cover all the work-surface underneath such that the upstand is substantially aligned with a rear edge of the worktop.
19. A top-mount sink unit constructed and arranged substantially as described herein and/or with reference to the accompanying drawings.