US20070157378A1

US20070157378A1 - Sink station with cover

Info

Publication number: US20070157378A1
Application number: US11/322,944
Authority: US
Inventors: James Kendall; Richard Sunshine; Vicki Wyatt
Original assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Current assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Priority date: 2005-12-30
Filing date: 2005-12-30
Publication date: 2007-07-12

Abstract

A sink station comprises a cabinet defining an interior space, a basin mounted to the cabinet, and a faucet for delivering fluid into the basin. A cover is provided for the sink station where the cover is movable over a range of motion between a closed position where the cover overlies the open top of the basin and a stored position where the cover is at least partially received in the basin. The cover can be operably coupled to the sink station through the range of motion. The cover can be connected to the basin through a multi-motion coupling that permits the cover to move in a first motion and a second motion different from the first motion to move the cover between the closed and stored positions. The sink station can further comprise at least one storage space.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a sink station and, more specifically, to a sink station that can be selectively closed by a cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
Laundry care generally requires large appliances, such as washing machines and clothes dryers that are commonly housed in one area of a home such as a dedicated laundry room, an auxiliary entryway, or a closet. Basic laundry care and cleaning of fabric items requires washing and drying fabric items. Often, it is desirable to hand-wash fabric items, such as sweaters, lingerie, and other delicate items, or only partially-wash fabric items, for instance, when treating a stain on a fabric item. This cannot be accomplished with a full-size washing machine and thus requires an additional piece of equipment, such as a sink.
Fabric items that must be hand-washed or partially-washed are usually washed in a room away from the washing machine and clothes dryer as some laundry rooms do not have a sink. The laundry area may have been converted from another type of room, such as an entryway or closet, and thus were not originally equipped with a sink, or the required plumbing for a sink. Space limitations in the laundry room often prohibit the installation of a sink.
A homeowner must therefore wash the fabric item in another room of the home that is equipped with a sink, which scatters the laundry care throughout the home. The homeowner must then return to the laundry room to dry the fabric item in the clothes dryer. The decentralization of laundry care throughout various rooms in the home is inconvenient to the homeowner and makes the laundry care process more difficult.
Therefore, there is a need to be able to conveniently and simply add a sink to a laundry room.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides for the addition of a sink station to a laundry room in a convenient and simple manner. According to one aspect of the invention, a sink comprises a cabinet defining an interior space, a basin mounted to the cabinet and defining an open top, a faucet to deliver fluid into the basin, and a cover movable over a range of motion between a closed position, where the cover overlies the open top to close the basin, and a stored position, where the cover is at least partially received in the cabinet.
The cover can be operably coupled to the sink throughout the range of motion. The cover can be pivotally mounted to the cabinet or the cover can be slidably mounted to the cabinet. The faucet can comprise a spout and the cover can overlie the spout in the closed position. The spout can be pivotable between a first position where the spout is above the open top of the basin and a second position where the spout is below the open top of the basin. The cabinet can have an recess that receives the cover in the stored position. The recess can be located adjacent the basin. The sink can further comprise at least one storage space formed in the interior space of the cabinet.
According to another aspect of the invention, a sink comprises a cabinet defining an interior space, a basin mounted to the cabinet and defining an open top, a faucet to deliver fluid into the basin, a cover sized to overlie the basin, and a multi-motion coupling operably connecting the cover to the cabinet to permit the cover to move in a first motion and a second motion different from the first motion to effect movement of the cover between a closed position and a stored position.
The first motion can be one of a pivoting motion and a sliding motion and the second motion can be the other of the pivoting motion and sliding motion. The first motion can be pivoting from the closed position to an opened position and the second motion is sliding from the opened position to a stored position.
The cover can be received in the cabinet in the stored position. The cabinet can have a recess that receives the cover in the stored position. The recess can be located adjacent to the basin. The cover can be located behind the cabinet in the stored position.
The faucet can have a spout and the cover can overlie the spout in the closed position. The spout can be pivotable between a first position where the spout is above the open top of the basin and a second position where the spout is below the open top of the basin. The sink can further comprise at least one storage space formed in the interior space of the cabinet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sink according to a first embodiment of the invention, shown with a cover in a closed position.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sink from FIG. 1, shown with the cover in a stored position.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the sink, taken along ling 3-3 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the sink from FIG. 1 shown with external connections to a power supply, hot water source, cold water source, and waste system.
FIG. 5 is a rear view of the sink from FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the sink from FIG. 1, shown with the cover in a stored position and a storage compartment and two drawers in an extended position.
FIG. 7 a is a rear view of the sink from FIG. 1, shown with the cover in the closed position.
FIG. 7 b is a side view of the sink from FIG. 7 a.
FIG. 8 a is a rear view of the sink from FIG. 1, shown with the cover in an intermediate position.
FIG. 8 b is a side view of the sink from FIG. 8 a.
FIG. 9 a is a rear view of the sink from FIG. 1, shown with the cover in a stored position.
FIG. 9 b is a side view of the sink from FIG. 9 a.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention, shown with a cover, a pivoting compartment, and a door both in a closed position.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sink from FIG. 10, shown with the cover in a stored position and the pivoting compartment and door in an extended position.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a sink according to a second embodiment of the invention, shown with a cover in a closed position.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the sink from FIG. 12, shown with the cover in an intermediate position.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the sink from FIG. 12, shown with the cover in a stored position.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-6 illustrate a sink station 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. The sink station 10 is a stand-alone unit; however, the sink station 10 is well suited to be part of a laundry system as disclosed in our docket no. US20050298, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Horizontal Modules,” our docket no. US20050494, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Horizontal Module Spanning Two Laundry Appliances,” our docket no. US20050495, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Horizontally Arranged Cabinet Module,” our docket no. US20050496, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Horizontal and Vertical Modules,” our docket no. US20050497, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Vertical Module,” our docket no. US20050498, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Cabinet Module,” our docket no. US20050499, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Laundry Module for Modular Laundry System,” our docket no. US20050294, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Work Surface,” our docket no. US20050500, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Segmented Work Surface,” our docket no. US20050501, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Work Surface Having a Functional Insert,” our docket no. US20050502, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Work Surface Having a Functional Element,” and our docket no. US20050503, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Modular Laundry System with Shelf Module,” which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The laundry system can comprise a laundry appliance and examples of the laundry appliance include, but are not limited to, a washing machine, including top-loading, front-loading, vertical axis, and horizontal axis washing machines, a dryer, such as a tumble dryer, including top-loading dryers and front-loading dryers, a combination washing machine and dryer, a tumbling refreshing machine, an extractor, and a non-aqueous washing apparatus. An exemplary non-aqueous washing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0155393, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The laundry system can also comprise a vertical laundry module and examples of suitable vertical laundry modules are disclosed in our docket no. US20050293, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Vertical Laundry Module,” our docket no. US20050504, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Vertical Laundry Module with Backsplash,” and our docket no. US20050295, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Ironing Station,” which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The laundry system can also comprise a horizontal laundry module and examples of suitable horizontal laundry modules are disclosed in our docket no. US20040297, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Non-Tumble Clothes Dryer,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The laundry appliance, vertical laundry module, and/or horizontal laundry module can further comprise a hanging element, such as is disclosed in our docket no. US20050290, filed concurrently herewith, and titled “Retractable Hanging Element,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. However, while the sink station 10 is discussed herein as useful for laundry room and laundry care applications, the sink station 10 is not limited to such an application. For example, the sink station 10 can be used to retrofit a room or space that was not originally equipped with a sink, such as a basement or a garage.
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the sink station 10 comprises a cabinet 12 having a front wall 14 and a rear wall 16 joined by left and right side walls 18, 20 and enclosed by a bottom wall 22. The cabinet 12 defines an interior space 24 of the sink station 10, and can have an opening in one of the walls to provide access to the interior space 24, as will be described below. The sink station 10 can have a roughly rectangular box shape with a height, width, and depth defining the spatial dimensions of the sink station 10. By way of example, and without limitation, the dimensions of the sink station 10 can be 35″H×15.5″W×25.75″D. The sink station 10 further comprises supports 25 that are connected to the bottom wall 22. The supports 25 are illustrated as posts on which the sink station 10 stands, however, the supports 25 can also comprise wheels so that the sink station 10 is mobile and can easily be moved, for example, to clean underneath or behind the sink station 10 or to move the sink station 10 to a different location.
A basin 26 having a peripheral rim 28 is mounted in the cabinet 12 such that the rim 28 rests on the upper edges of walls 14, 16, 18, 20. A drainboard 30 is formed in the rim 28 of the basin 26 to allow fluid on the rim 28 to drain into the basin 26. The drainboard 30 comprises a shallow depression in the rim 28 having raised guides 32 that are perpendicular to the front wall 14 of the cabinet 12 to direct fluid into the basin 26. The guides 32 can also function as a scrubbing surface when hand-washing or treating a stain on a fabric item. A cover 34 is mounted to the cabinet 12 to provide selective access to the basin 26 and is movable between a closed position shown in FIG. 1 where the cover 34 overlies the basin 26 and a stored position shown in FIG. 2. The cover 34 has a front edge 35 that serves as a handgrip for the user when moving the cover 34 from the closed position to the stored position, or vice versa.
The basin 26 comprises a faucet 36 that delivers fluid into the basin 26 and has a pivotable spout 38, two handles 40, 42 for controlling the delivery of fluid through the spout 38, and a block 44 for mounting the faucet 38 to the basin 26 and through which fluid is delivered to the spout 38. The spout 38 is pivotable between a first position where the spout 38 extends above the open top of the basin 26 and a second position where the spout 38 is below the open top of the basin 26. The spout 38 can be operably linked to the cover 34 such that the spout 38 automatically pivots to the first position when the cover 34 is moved to the stored position and pivots to the second position when the cover 34 is moved to the closed position. The spout 38 can alternately be moved between the first and second positions independently of the cover 34, requiring the user to manually pivot the spout 38.
As shown in FIG. 4, the sink station 10 is provided with the necessary plumbing required for fluid to be delivered to the sink station 10 and for fluid to be removed from the sink station 10. To deliver fluid to the sink station 10, hot and cold water is piped through separate conduits 46, 48 that fluidly connect respective hot and cold water supplies 50, 52 to the faucet 36. The water supplies 50, 52 can be standard household water supplies, such as a water tank used to supply water to bathrooms and kitchens or can be an existing water-supplied appliance, such as a washing machine. The conduits 46, 48 extend through the mounting block 44 of the faucet 36 and are in fluid communication with the spout 38. Flow of fluid though the conduits 46, 48 is controlled by valves (not shown) that are actuated by the handles 40, 42, as is well-known in the faucet art. The handle 40 controls the flow of hot water from the conduit 46 through the spout 38, and the handle 42 controls the flow of cold water from the conduit 48 through the spout 38.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, to remove fluid from the sink station 10, a drain 60 is formed in the bottom of the basin 26 and is in fluid communication a fluid waste system 62 through a drain pipe 64 that extends exteriorly of the cabinet 12 though the aperture formed in the rear wall 16. The drain pipe 64 comprises a first and second pipe section 66, 68 and a pump 70, where the first pipe section 66 is connected between the drain 60 and the pump 70, and the second pipe section 68 is connected between the pump 70 and fluid waste system 62. The fluid waste system 62 can, for example, be a septic tank or a sewer system. A power cord 72 connected to the pump 70 extends exteriorly of the sink station 10 through the rear wall 16 to a power supply 74, such as an electrical outlet or an electric generator.
Referring to FIG. 5, the cover 34 is movably mounted to the cabinet 12 though a coupling assembly 76 located on a wall of the cabinet 12 or contained within the cabinet 12. For example, the coupling assembly 76 can be substantially located on the rear wall 16. The coupling assembly 76 comprises a mechanism capably of multi-motion movement, such as a pivoting and a sliding movement, that can occur separately or at least partially simultaneously. An example of a suitable coupling assembly 76 is shown in FIG. 5, although other coupling assemblies are possible and are within the scope of the invention. The cover 34 is pivotally mounted through a pair of hinges 78 to a guide member 80 that comprises two runners 82 that are slidably received within two generally vertical tracks 84 formed on the rear wall 16. The guide member 80 is connected to an internal counterweight (not shown). The counterweight is operably connected to a pulley system (not shown) that counterbalances the cover 34 to help the user move the cover 34 from the stored position to the closed position, as will be described in more detail below. The cover 34 can also be counterbalanced by a linear spring operably connected to the pulley system.
The runners 82 are provided with a stop end 86 that is spaced from a stop end 88 of the tracks 84 when the cover 34 is in the closed position. This spacing allows the runners 82 to move relative to the tracks 84 in a sliding relation until the stop end 88 of the runners 82 abuts the stop end 88 of the tracks 84, as is the case when the cover 34 is in the stored position.
A pair of projections 90 are provided on the guide member 80 and are positioned below the hinges 78. The cover 34 rests at least partially on the projections 90 in the stored position to limit the pivoting of the cover 34 and keep the cover 34 in a generally vertical orientation.
The sink station 10 further comprises one or more storage spaces provided in the interior space 24 of the cabinet 12 that are accessed through a wall of the cabinet 12, for example, the front wall 14. Referring to FIG. 6, the interior space 24 of the sink station 10 is divided into multiple, separate storage spaces, comprising two drawers 94, 96 and a pivoting compartment 98 that open from the front wall 14 of the cabinet 12. The drawers 94, 96 are positioned in the cabinet 12 below the basin 26. The drawers 94, 96 each comprise a drawer body 100 defining a storage space 102 with an open top allowing the user to access the storage space 102 when the drawer 94, 96 is extended from the cabinet 12. A front panel 104 is further joined to the front of the drawer body 100 using any suitable fastening means. The front panel 104 has a handle 106 integrally formed along the top edge of the front panel 104 to enable the user to pull the drawer 94, 96 from the cabinet 12 to access the storage space 102. The drawers 94, 96 can be mounted to slidably open from the front wall 14 of the cabinet 12 using any suitable mounting means. For example, a runner 108 can be attached to the outer surfaces of the drawer body 100 that interacts with a corresponding track 110 attached to the inside surface of the left and right side walls 18, 20 of the cabinet 12 (FIG. 3).
The width and depth of the drawers 94, 96 are such that the drawers 94, 96 can fit within the cabinet 12. The height of the drawers 94, 96 can vary, thus providing different amount of storage by varying the size of the storage space 102 in each drawer 94, 96. The lower drawer 94 is preferably of a height where, for example, a laundry aid such as a bottle of detergent can stand upright in the drawer 94 without having to lie on a side. The preferred height for the lower drawer 94 is about 14.25″. The upper drawer 96 is preferably of a lesser height than the lower drawer 94. The preferred height for the upper drawer 96 is about 5.25″.
The drawers 94, 96 can be used to provide needed storage for laundry aids and additional equipment. A laundry aid is a substance or agent used to clean or care for fabric items, such as, but not limited to, a laundry detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, bleach, spray-dewrinkler, or other substance used for cleaning fabric items. Additional equipment required for laundry care can include items such as an iron, ironing board, hangers and hanging rods for hanging fabric items, and mesh-screens for flat-drying.
The pivoting compartment 98 is positioned in front of the basin 26 and comprises an open-top bin 112 defining an interior storage space 114 that pivotally opens from the front wall 14 of the cabinet 12. A front panel 116 is attached from the front wall of the bin and a handle 118 is integrally formed along the upper edge of the front panel 116. A pair of brackets 120 (FIG. 3) operably couple the pivoting compartment 98 to the cabinet 12, such that the compartment 98 can be opened to an acute angle α to access the bin 112 such that items in the bin 112 will not fall out when the compartment 98 is opened.
An exemplary description of the operation of the pivoting cover 34 follows, with reference to FIGS. 7 a-9 b. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill that the operation procedure can proceed in any logical order and is not limited to the sequence presented below. The following description is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention in any manner.
To move the cover 34 from the closed position (FIGS. 7 a, 7 b) to the stored position (FIGS. 9 a, 9 b), the user first grips the front edge 35 of the cover 34 and exerts an upward and rearward rotational force on the cover 34, causing the cover 34 to rotate about the hinges 78. Continued force on the cover 34 moves the cover 34 to an intermediate position shown in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b, where the cover 34 is in an orientation that is substantially perpendicular to the orientation of the cover 34 in the closed position and at least partially rests on the projections 90.
Once the cover 34 is in the intermediate position, the weight of the cover 34 causes the guide member 80, and thus the runners 82, to move downward under gravitational force. Due to the presence of the counterweight and pulley system, the cover 34 moves in a controlled fashion. The runners 82 move downward relative to the tracks 84 until the stop end 86 of the runners 82 reaches the stop end 88 of the tracks 84, whereby the movement of the cover 34 is arrested and the cover 34 is in the stored position as shown in FIG. 9 a and 9 b.
The spout 38 can be manually pivoted to the first position when the cover 34 is in the intermediate position or the stored position. If the spout 38 is operably linked to the cover 34, the spout 38 can pivot to the first position as the cover 34 is moved from the closed position to the intermediate position or from the intermediate position to the stored position.
To move the cover 34 from the stored position (FIGS. 9 a, 9 b) to the closed position (FIGS. 7 a, 7 b), the user grips the front edge 35 of the cover 34 and exerts an upward force on the cover 34, such that the runners 82 move upwardly relative to the tracks 84. The counterweight and pulley system aids the user in lifting the cover 34 to the intermediate position shown in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b. Once the cover 34 is in the intermediate position, the user can lower the cover 34 to the closed position by allowing the cover to rotate about the hinges 78 under gravitational force.
Referring to FIGS. 10-11, in which like elements bear the same reference numeral, the sink station 10 is illustrated with an alternate set of storage features. In this embodiment, the interior space 24 of the sink station 10 is divided into separate storage spaces, comprising a pivoting compartment 98 and a door 130 that opens from the front wall 14 of the cabinet 12 to reveal a storage space 132. A handle 134 is integrally formed along the top edge of the door 130 to enable the user to grip the handle 134 and pull the door 130 open. A shelf 136 is positioned in the storage space 132 and can be adjustable to adjust the vertical position of the shelf 136 or to completely remove the shelf 136. In other respects, the sink station 10 is similar to the sink station 10 shown in FIGS. 1-6.
The sink station 10 can also comprise any combination of storage spaces. For example, the sink station 10 can singly comprise a drawer, a door, or a pivoting compartment, or a plurality of a single storage feature. In another example, the sink station 10 can comprise drawer and a door. In yet another example, the sink station 10 can comprise a drawer, a door, and a pivoting compartment. However, it is also within the scope of the invention that the sink station 10 can comprise none of the storage spaces described herein.
A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 12-14, where elements similar to those of the first embodiment of the sink station 10′ are identified with the same reference numeral bearing a prime (′) symbol. In this embodiment, the sink station 10′ comprises a recess 138 having an opening adjacent to a wall of the cabinet 12′. For illustrative purposes, the recess 138 is shown adjacent to the left side wall 18′, although the recess 138 can also be adjacent the front wall 14′, the rear wall 16′, or the right side wall 20′ and remain within the scope of the invention. The cover 34′ is mounted to the cabinet 12′ to provide selective access to the basin 26′ and is movable between a stored position shown in FIG. 14 and a closed position shown in FIG. 12 where the cover 34′ overlies the basin 26′. The cover 34′ has a side edge 35′ that serves as a handgrip for the user when moving the cover 34′ from the stored position to the closed position, or vice versa. The cover 34′ can be movably mounted to the cabinet 12′ with a coupling assembly in the same manner as described above; however, the coupling assembly is substantially located on the left side wall 18′. As illustrated, the cover 34′ is received in the recess 138 in the stored position such that the cover 34′ is wholly contained within the cabinet 12′ and the edge 35′ is flush with the rim 28′ of the basin 26′. The cover 34′ can also be removably mounted to the cabinet 12′ such that the cover 34′ is removed from the sink station 10′ and placed in the recess 138. Additionally, it is within the scope of the invention for the cover 34′ to only be partially received within the recess 138 when in the stored position such that the edge 35′ is not flush with the rim 28′ of the basin 26′.
To move the cover 34′ from the closed position (FIG. 12) to the stored position (FIG. 14), the user first grips the side edge 35′ of the cover 34′ and exerts an upward force on the cover 34′, thereby moving the cover 34′ to an intermediate position shown in FIG. 13 where the cover 34′ is in an orientation that is substantially perpendicular to the orientation of the cover 34′ in the closed position, or completely removing the cover 34′ from the sink station 10′. The cover 34′ is then slid downward into the recess 138 such that the cover 34′ is received within the cabinet 12′.
While shown with storage spaces comprising two drawers 94′, 96′ and a pivoting compartment 98′, the sink station 10′ can alternately comprise a storage space closed by a door and a pivoting compartment similar to those shown in FIGS. 10-11, or any combination of the storage spaces described herein. The sink station 10′ can also comprise none of these storage spaces and remain within the scope of the invention.
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

Claims

1. A sink station comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior space;

a basin mounted to the cabinet and defining an open top;

a faucet to deliver fluid into the basin; and

a cover movable over a range of motion between a closed position, where the cover overlies the open top to close the basin, and a stored position, where the cover is at least partially received in the cabinet.

2. The sink station according to claim 1 wherein the cover is operably coupled to the sink station throughout the range of motion.

3. The sink station according to claim 2 wherein the cover is pivotally mounted to the cabinet.

4. The sink station according to claim 2 wherein the cover is slidably mounted to the cabinet.

5. The sink station according to claim 1 wherein the faucet comprises a spout and the cover overlies the spout in the closed position.

6. The sink station according to claim 5 wherein the spout is pivotable between a first position where the spout is above the open top of the basin and a second position where the spout is below the open top of the basin.

7. The sink station according to claim 1 where the cabinet has an opening that receives the cover in the stored position.

8. The sink station according to claim 7 wherein the opening is located adjacent to the basin.

9. The sink station according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one storage space formed in the interior space of the cabinet.

10. A sink station comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior space;

a basin mounted to the cabinet and defining an open top;

a faucet to deliver fluid into the basin;

a cover sized to overlie the basin; and

a multi-motion coupling operably connecting the cover to the cabinet to permit the cover to move in a first motion and a second motion different from the first motion to effect movement of the cover between a closed position and a stored position.

11. The sink station according to claim 10 wherein the first motion is one of a pivoting motion and a sliding motion.

12. The sink station according to claim 11 wherein the second motion is the other of the pivoting motion and sliding motion.

13. The sink station according to claim 12 wherein the first motion is pivoting from the closed position to an opened position and the second motion is sliding from the opened position to a stored position.

14. The sink station according to claim 13 wherein the cover is received in the cabinet in the stored position.

15. The sink station according to claim 14 wherein the cabinet has an opening that receives the cover in the stored position.

16. The sink station according to claim 15 wherein the opening is located adjacent to the basin.

17. The sink station according to claim 13 wherein the cover is located behind the cabinet in the stored position.

18. The sink station according to claim 10 wherein the faucet has a spout and the cover overlies the spout in the closed position.

19. The sink station according to claim 18 wherein the spout is pivotable between a first position where the spout is above the open top of the basin and a second position where the spout is below the open top of the basin.

20. The sink station according to claim 10 and further comprising at least one storage space formed in the interior space of the cabinet.