Improvements in or relating to work tops with sink or bowl attachments

Abstract

 The disclosure relates to a work top having a bowl attachment, the work top comprising a substrate (18) in which a hole (19) is formed to receive the bowl (10). A rebate (20) is formed around the hole on the upper side of the substrate in which a perimeter member (13) is seated. The inner peripheral part of the perimeter member overhangs the hole in the substrate and a bowl (10) having an encircling flange (11) is secured to the overhanging part of the perimeter member. A facing sheet is bonded to the upper side of the substrate and to the face of the perimeter member with an aperture in the sheet to register with the opening in the perimeter member. The arrangement is applicable equally to the flush mounting of sinks in work-tops.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a work top with a flush mounted sink or bowl.

[0002] Flush mounted bowls are well known and comprise a bowl fitted as an integral part of a worktop by means of screws or brackets to the substrate of the work top and subsequently laminated with laminate, veneer or worktop surface material over the top face of the bowl, then trimmed back to the inner edge of bowl.

[0003] However such flush mounted bowls require relatively skilled fixing and normally necessitate installation into the worktop at the place of manufacture of the worktop and are relatively unsuitable for fixing on site. This normally requires worktop transportation to installation site to be undertaken with the bowl affixed. The high pressure required for good bonding between the bowl and worktop laminate, veneer or worktop surface material is also difficult to achieve particularly if normal manufacturing equipment is not available.

[0004] This invention provides a worktop having a sink or bowl attachment, the worktop comprising a substrate in which a hole is formed to receive a sink or bowl, a rebate being formed around the hole on one side of the substrate, a perimeter member seated in the rebate with a face of the member flush with said side of the substrate and with an inner peripheral part of the member overhanging the hole in the substrate, a sink or bowl disposed on the other side of the substrate and having a rim located in the hole in the substrate, means to attach the rim of the bowl to said overhanging part of the perimeter member and a facing sheet bonded to said one side of the substrate and to said face of the perimeter member with an aperture in the sheet in register with the opening in the perimeter member.

[0005] Preferably a peripheral flange is formed around the rim of the sink or bowl which is attached to said overhanging part of the perimeter member.

[0006] In one specific arrangement according to the invention the peripheral flange of the sink or bowl is bolted to the overhanging part of the perimeter member by bolts extending through the flange of the sink or bowl and engaging in threaded bores provided in the perimeter member.

[0007] In the latter case the perimeter member may have spaced bores extending through the flange in which internally threaded sockets are mounted to receive the bolts from the sink or bowl flange.

[0008] More specifically the bores in the perimeter member may be counter-bored at the upper ends and the sockets may have head at the upper ends to support the sockets in the perimeter member.

[0009] Some specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bowl and bowl mounting plate;

Figure 2 shows a worktop substrate recessed by means of hand router or similar tool to receive the bowl mounting plate;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the worktop substrate with the position of section "X-X" used in Figures 4 to 8 indicated;

Figure 4 is a section on the line X-X through the worktop sustrate shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 with the bowl mounting plate affixed in position;

Figure 6 is a similar view to Figure 5 with laminate, veneer or other worktop surface material bonded to the substrate and to the mounting plate;

Figure 7 is a similar view to Figure 6 with the laminate, veneer or other worktop surface material trimmed to the mounting plate;

Figure 8 is a similar view to Figure 7 with a bowl attached to the mounting plate by means of bolts;

Figure 9 is a similar view to that of Figure 8 showing a modified arrangement for attaching the bowl to the mounting plate;

Figures 10 and 11 are plan and sectional views through a preferred form of bowl; and

Figures 12 to 14 show further arrangements in accordance with the invention.

[0010] Referring firstly Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a moulded plastics bowl 10 having a peripheral flange 11 provided with spaced holes 12. The flange 11 is securable by bolts to an annular mounting plate 13 having corresponding bolt holes 14. The diameter of the inner periphery 15 of the plate is the same or substantially the same as the inner diameter 16 of the flange 11 encircling the bowl. The width of the annular plate 13 is rather greater than the width of the flange 11 on the bowl so that when the plate is assembled on the bowl, the plate 13 has a outer peripheral portion 17 which project beyond the outer edge of the flange 11 as described below.

[0011] Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings, there is shown a portion of worktop substrate 18 to which the bowl is to be mounted. The worktop has a hole 19 to receive both the bowl 10 and flange 11 and the upper part of the hole is counter-bored by means of a hand router or similar device to provide a counter-bore 20 to receive the annular plate 13. Plate 13 is perferably formed from a hard plastics material such an epoxy resin.

[0012] Plate 13 is a snug fit in the counter-bore 20 in the substrate 18 as shown in Figure 5 with the upper surface 21 of the plate flush with the upper surface 22 of the worktop. Bolt holes 14 formed in the plate for securing the sink extend from the underside 23 and stop short of the top surface of the plate as can be seen in Figure 5. The bolt holes are threaded to receive the threaded ends of the bolts. When the plate 13 has been fitted in counter-bore in the worktop a laminate, a veneer or other worktop surface material is bonded to the upper surface 22 of the worktop substrate and to the upper surface 21 of the plate 13 as shown in Figure 6. The portion 25 of the laminate, veneer or work surface material over the opening in the annular plate is then trimmed back to the inner periphery 15 of the annular plate and the resulting edge 26 formed around the opening in the laminate, veneer or work surface and the adjacent part of the opening 15 may be chamfered slightly as indicated in Figure 7.

[0013] The bowl 10 is then offered up to the underside of the annular plate 13 and the flange 11 of the bowl is bolted to the plate by means of through bolts 27 which engage in the threaded holes 14 in the plate. A sealant material is located between the flange 11 of the bowl and the underside of the plate 15 to provide a seal against ingress of moisture. The arrangement thus provides a convenient means for attachment of the bowl through the work surface which can readily be carried out on site after installation of the work surface.

[0014] Although the arrangement described above utilises bolts for securing the bowl to the mounting plate, catches, clips or other attachment devices may be utilised instead.

[0015] Figure 9 of the drawings shows a modification to the plate 19 in which internally threaded brass sleeves 28 are provided in the plate 13 to receive the bolts 27. The sleeves 28 are located in bores 29 formed in plate 13 and the upper ends of the bores are counter-bored as indicated at 30 to receive heads 31 formed at the upper ends of the sleeves to support the sleeves in the plate. The arrangement is otherwise similar to that described above.
   Figures 10 and 11 show a further form of bowl to which the invention is applicable and it will be noted that the bowl is formed with an integral shelf 32 stepped below the peripheral flange 13 to receive tap fittings and the like.
   The invention is equally applicable to flush mounting of sinks in work-tops and reference is now made to Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings which illustrates a further construction for flush mounting of an existing sink formed from sheet steel or other similar material to a new worktop. The arrangement is generally similar to that described and illustrated with respect to Figures 1 to 9 except that the perimeter member 13 has a rebate 35 around its lower inner edge shaped to receive the outer periphery of a sink. In the example illustrated the periphery has a "quarter round" rebate to receive a correspondingly rounded flange 36 formed around the periphery bowl 10 as shown in Figure 16. The flange 36 is held in place in the rebate by means of an annular clamping plate 37 which engages under the edge of the flange and the adjacent overhanging part of the perimeter member 13 and is secured thereto by bolts 27 engaging in screw threaded sockets 28 in the perimeter member. A sealant is used between the flange 36 on the sink and the perimeter member 13.
   Figure 13 shows a modification of the arrangement of Figure 12 in which the annular clamping plate has an upturned inner peripheral rim 38 which engages under the sink flange to help locate the sink in place. Figure 14 shows a further variant in which the sink and its flange 36 are a composite moulding of somewhat greater wall thickness than the sinks formed from sheet steel and the upper outer periphery of the flange 36 is moulded or formed with a "rounded" profile 36a which is received in the rebate 35 in perimeter member 14. A plain clamping plate 37 is provided in this case.

Claims

1. A worktop having a sink or bowl attachment, the worktop comprising a substrate in which a hole is formed to receive a sink or bowl, a rebate being formed around the hole on one side of the substrate, a perimeter member seated in the rebate with a face of the member flush with said side of the substrate and with an inner peripheral part of the member overhanging the hole in the substrate, a sink or bowl disposed on the other side of the substrate and having a rim located in the hole in the substrate, means to attach the rim of the sink or bowl to said overhanging part of the perimeter member and a facing sheet bonded to said one side of the substrate and to said face of the perimeter member with an aperture in the sheet in register with the opening in the perimeter member.

2. A worktop as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a peripheral flange is formed around the rim of the sink or bowl which is attached to the overhanging part of the perimeter member.

3. A worktop as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the peripheral flange of the sink or bowl is bolted to the overhanging part of the perimeter member by bolts extending through the flange of the sink or bowl and engaging in threaded bores provided in the perimeter member.

4. A worktop as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the perimeter member has spaced bores extending through the flange in which internally threaded sockets are mounted to receive the bolts from the sink or bowl flange.

5. A worktop as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the bores in the perimeter member are counter-bored at the upper ends and the sockets have heads at the upper ends to support the sockets in the perimeter member.

6. A worktop as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the means to secure the rim of the sink or bowl to the perimeter member comprising clamping member engaging under the rim and secured to the perimeter member.

7. A worktop as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the sink or bowl has a rolled over flange, the perimeter member has a recess around its lower inner edge to receive the rolled flange and the clamping member engages under the peripheral edge of the flange.

Drawing