WO2020060464A1

WO2020060464A1 - Wall box intended for a recirculation shower and a system for water proofing of a wall box

Info

Publication number: WO2020060464A1
Application number: PCT/SE2019/050823
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jake Snowdon; Patrik Jonasson
Original assignee: Orbital Systems Ab
Priority date: 2018-09-18
Filing date: 2019-09-03
Publication date: 2020-03-26
Also published as: EP3852591A4; EP3852591A1

Abstract

The present invention describes a wall box (1) intended for a recirculation shower (2), wherein the wall box (1) comprises a box unit (3) with a length L, width W, depth D and circumference C, and wherein the wall box (1) also comprises a folded portion (4) arranged around the entire circumference C.

Description

Wall box intended for a recirculation shower and a system for water proofing of a wall box.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a wall box for a recirculation shower. Technical Background

Today there are existing recirculation showers. One such is disclosed 5 in WO 2013/095278 which describes a hybrid device for a recirculation

shower, allowing purification and either recycling of water or discarding of water, where said hybrid device comprises a recirculation loop, a filter system with a nano-filter, and at least one filter quality sensor, and wherein the hybrid device is arranged to redirect the water from recirculation to drainage when 10 the at least one filter quality sensor indicates the need thereof.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a wall box for any type of recirculation shower. A wall box according to the present invention may be seen as a body for the recirculation shower, where the body contains certain components of the recirculation shower. Furthermore, a wall box

15 according to the present invention should be simple to install and connect

with other suitable parts in a recirculation shower and should provide water proofing.

Summary of the invention

The stated purpose above is achieved according to the present

20 invention by a wall box intended for a recirculation shower, wherein the wall box comprises a box unit with a length L, width W, depth D and circumference C, and wherein the wall box also comprises a folded portion arranged around the entire circumference C.

The present invention is directed to providing a moisture barrier

25 solution for a recirculation shower having a wall box. As the wall box is

provided as an inserted component in the wall, the wall box should provide a moisture barrier feature with is reliable and approved according to local legislation and building codes. This moisture barrier solution is provided according to the present invention by arranging a folded portion around the 30 entire box unit of the wall box. One example thereof is shown in fig. 1. It

should be noted that the wall box may have many different geometrical shapes, such as rectangular, quadratic, round or oval, etc., but in all cases the folded portion is arranged around the entire circumference of the outer cross section of the box unit. When viewing fig. 1 it should be clear that the folded portion is an outer part of the wall box. Accordingly, the box unit of the wall box is intended to be inserted into the wall of the shower space.

Specific embodiments of the invention

Below specific embodiments of the present invention are provided and discussed further.

According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the wall box is made in one piece. The wall box may be produced from different types of material, such as stainless steel, suitable plastic materials etc. To provide the wall box in one piece may have production advantages.

According to yet another embodiment, the folded portion is

perpendicular to a wall(s) of the box unit. As may be understood when viewing fig. 1 , it is of course suitable to arrange the entire folded portion perpendicularly to the all walls of the box unit.

The wall box may contain several components of the recirculation shower. One example is a receiving unit for fresh water, e.g. arranged as a tank component providing an air gap. Other examples are electronic components, such as sensors, a control unit with one or more

microprocessors, and needed other treatment units, like a heater and a UV unit, e.g. arranged as one common UV/ heater unit, and also one or more filters. Also other components, like a pump, a mixer unit (mentioned below), tubing, electronic cables etc. are also embedded inside of the wall box in suitable arrangements. It should be understood that the wall box should be able to receive water, suitably both fresh water and recirculating water and also be able to flow clean water, such as both from a fresh water inlet and from an inlet of recirculating water, to a shower output unit, e.g. a top shower unit or even a handheld shower unit, from which water flows out and onto a user.

It should be noted that the components mentioned above are not part of the wall box as such, however they may be part of a wall box system for a recirculation shower according to the present invention. The wall box unit as a single unit may, however, also comprise other features. According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, one side of the box unit comprises an inlet tube hole (see fig. 1 for an example). This first inlet hole is intended to receive recirculating water, such as flowing from a drain of the shower. This is further explained below. It should, however, be noted that other types of inlet holes of the wall box may be arranged to receive fresh water. For instance, there may be arranged a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet which is either arranged into a separate hole or with tubing/hose(s) into a tube hole also used for other reasons. The cold and hot water inlet is led to a mixer unit which in turn provides a water flow having the intended

temperature to be flown to the tank having an air gap. So, any additional inlet hole(s) is not shown in the figures, but may be provided at one or more suitable positions in the box unit of the wall box.

Furthermore, according to one specific embodiment of the present invention the inlet tube hole may be arranged at a bottom of a funnel. Such a funnel may be an advantage so as to provide more space on the direct inside of the box unit. As water hose(s) or tubing enters into the tube hole it may be an advantage to provide a funnel to simplify the entering of the hose(s) to different places in the box unit. In this regard it may be said that hoses may be arranged in outer tubing, e.g. outer tubing made of plastics.

Moreover, according to yet another specific embodiment, one side of the box unit comprises an outlet tube hole. The outlet tube hole is intended for leading a tube or hose to a user shower unit, such as a top shower unit as shown in figs. 2 and 3, or to a handheld shower unit, or both. As seen in fig. 2 and 3, when led to a top shower unit, the outlet tube hole is suitably arranged on a side of the box unit intended to face the top. In other cases, this would not be the most suitable choice. Moreover, it should also be noted that the outlet tube hole may also be provided on the same side of the box unit as the inlet tube hole. As should be understood from above, the outlet tube hole is intended for water to be led out from the wall box to the shower unit.

According to yet another specific embodiment of the present invention, the wall box comprises one or more attachment means. This or these attachment means enable a fixation of the wall box into a wall, a screw or any type of frame or the like. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the depth D of the box unit is at least 80 mm. For example, the depth D may be arranged in a range of from 100 - 180 mm, e.g. 130 - 160 mm. The suitable depth D may be set by some different parameters, such as the size of the pump and tank and some other components.

Moreover, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the folded portion has an extension of at least 20 mm. The folded portion should be wide enough to provide for a safe and reliable moisture barrier. The width or extension of the folded portion may e.g. be arranged in the range of 25 - 50 mm.

As hinted above, the present invention also refers to a system comprising a wall box as described above. According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a system for water proofing of a wall box and a drain unit in a recirculation shower, said system comprising: a wall box according to the present invention; a drain unit;

a drain-wall box tube arranged from an inlet tube hole of the box unit to the drain unit and connected to the drain unit via a return water inlet hole of the drain unit. As should be understood from above, here the wall box is also connected to a drain unit by the drain-wall box tube, where the drain unit is suitably arranged in the shower floor. Suitably, the decision of either sending contaminated water to waste or clean water to recirculation is made in a point in or close to the drain unit. Therefore, this drain-wall box tube may be seen as a return pipe for recirculated water being sent back to the wall box.

Moreover, the drain wall box tube may suitably be arranged behind the shower wall, but could also be provided on the outside of the wall, i.e. in the wet room. Furthermore, and as seen in fig. 2, the drain unit of the system may also comprise a waste water outlet from which contaminated water is sent to waste.

Also the system according to the present invention provides a reliable moisture barrier in the entire system. This implies that the moisture barrier should be secured in also the drain unit and in connections between the wall box and drain unit. Furthermore, the same principle according to the present invention apply from the wall box to a possible top shower unit in a system according to the present invention. In line with this, according to one embodiment, the system also comprises a wall box-shower tube arranged from an outlet tube hole of the box unit to a shower unit. Also in this case, suitably the wall box-shower tube is arranged behind the wall and is then connected to the shower top units which extends out from the wall to a distance suitable for a user. Also in this case, the tubing may be provided on the outside of the wall in the wet room. Also combinations, e.g. with tubing behind the wall from the drain to the wall box but on the outside of the wall from the wall box to the top shower unit are also possible according to the present invention. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the shower unit may have many different forms and types, e.g. instead a handheld shower, and then the connection between wall box and such a unit may also be very different. Regardless, to ensure a reliable water moisture in the needed positions is provided in a system according to the present invention.

Detailed description of the drawings

In fig. 1 there is shown one specific embodiment of a wall box 1 according to the present invention, in this case a rectangular wall box 1 . The wall box 1 comprises a box unit 3 with four walls 5 and with a length L, width W, depth D and circumference C. The folded portion 4 of the wall box 1 is arranged around the entire circumference C of the wall box 1. Furthermore, in this case, in one side 6 of the box unit 3 there is provided an inlet hole 7 arranged at a bottom of a funnel 8. Moreover, on another side 20 there is arranged an outlet tube 30. Furthermore, in each corner of the back of the wall box 1 there is arranged attachment means 35.

In fig. 2 there is shown a system 9 for water proofing of a wall box 1 and a drain unit 10 in a recirculation shower 2 according to one specific embodiment of the present invention, seen from the back. The system 9 comprises the wall box 1 , a drain unit 10, a drain-wall box tube 40 arranged from an inlet tube hole 7 (see example in fig. 1 ) of the box unit 3 to the drain unit 10 and connected to the drain unit 10 via a return water inlet hole 200 (see fig. 3) of the drain unit 10. Furthermore, a wall box-shower tube 50 is arranged from an outlet tube hole 30 (see example in fig. 1 ) of the box unit 3 to a shower unit 60. Moreover, in fig. 3 there is shown a system 9 such as shown in fig. 2, however in this case seen from the front and from the side. In this case, one type of shower unit 60 is also shown. Furthermore, as seen from the front, the drain unit 10 also comprises a waste water outlet 300 from which

contaminated water is sent to waste.

Claims

1 . Wall box (1 ) intended for a recirculation shower (2), wherein the wall box (1 ) comprises a box unit (3) with a length L, width W, depth D and

circumference C, and wherein the wall box (1 ) also comprises a folded portion (4) arranged around the entire circumference C.

2. Wall box (1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the wall box (1 ) is made in one piece.

3. Wall box (1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the folded portion (4) is perpendicular to a wall(s) (5) of the box unit (3).

4. Wall box (1 ) according to any of claims 1 -3, wherein one side (6) of the box unit (3) comprises an inlet tube hole (7).

5. Wall box (1 ) according to claim 4, wherein the inlet tube hole (7) is arranged at a bottom of a funnel (8).

6. Wall box (1 ) according to any of claims 1 -5, wherein one side (20) of the box unit (3) comprises an outlet tube hole (30).

7. Wall box (1 ) according to any of claims 1 -6, wherein the wall box (1 ) comprises one or more attachment means (35).

8. Wall box (1 ) according to any of claims 1 -7, wherein the depth D of the box unit (3) is at least 80 mm.

9. Wall box (1 ) according to any of claims 1 -8, wherein the folded portion (4) has an extension of at least 20 mm.

10. System (9) for water proofing of a wall box (1 ) and a drain unit (10) in a recirculation shower (2), said system (9) comprising:

a wall box (1 ) according to any of claims 1 -9;

a drain unit (10);

a drain-wall box tube (40) arranged from an inlet tube hole (7) of the box unit (3) to the drain unit (10) and connected to the drain unit (10) via a return water inlet hole (200) of the drain unit (10).

1 1. System (9) according to claim 10, wherein the system (9) also comprises a wall box-shower tube (50) arranged from an outlet tube hole (30) of the box unit (3) to a shower unit (60).