Sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting

Abstract

A sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting includes in known fashion a sanitary fitting which can be mounted on the edge portion of a wash-stand or sink unit and a discharge valve for the sink unit and wash-stand. The discharge valve has a valve housing which can be mounted at the lowest point of the basin of the wash-stand or sink unit and a closing member which is movable with respect to the valve housing. One end portion of an actuating member, e.g. a multi-link rod assembly, passes through a through-bore of the sanitary fitting and carries an actuating knob. The other end of the actuating member is connected to an actuating mechanism for the closing member located in the valve housing. The actuating knob projects from the sanitary fitting only in the closed position of the discharge valve. In the open position of the discharge valve the actuating knob is completely recessed in the sanitary fitting; in this position its outer end face is flush with the adjacent surface portions of the sanitary fitting. The discharge valve can be closed only by pressing on the closing member of the discharge valve, but not by pulling the actuating knob of the actuating member.

Description

BACKGROUND ART

The invention relates to a sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting, comprising

• • a) a sanitary fitting which can be mounted on the edge portion of a wash-stand or sink unit;
  • b) a discharge valve which in turn includes:
    • ba) a valve housing which can be mounted at the lowest point of the base of the wash-stand or sink unit;
    • bb) a closing member which is movable with respect to the valve housing and which abuts a sealing face of the valve housing in the closed position of the discharge valve and is spaced from said sealing face in the open position of the discharge valve; and
  • c) an actuating member,
    • ca) one end portion of which passes through a through-bore of the sanitary fitting and carries an actuating knob which projects from the sanitary fitting in the closed position of the discharge valve;
    • cb) the other end of which is connected to an actuating mechanism for the closing member, which actuating mechanism is located in the valve housing.

Practically all currently known sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fittings are configured in the manner mentioned above. Actuation of the discharge valve is effected exclusively via the actuating knob of the actuating member, which is pulled up to close the discharge valve and pushed down to open the discharge valve. For this purpose the actuating knob projects above the outer contour of the sanitary fitting and is generally provided with a larger diameter than the actuating member connected therein. In this way the user's fingers can grasp around and behind the actuating knob so that the tractive force required to close the discharge valve can be easily applied. The disadvantage of this known configuration is that the actuating knob projecting from the sanitary fitting is a contamination trap in which, in particular, lime or other deposits can collect, and that, in addition, the optical appearance of the sanitary fitting as a whole is impaired.

It is an object of the present invention to configure a sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting of the above-mentioned type that can be cleaned more easily and completely and is optically more appealing.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that

• • d) in the closed position of the discharge valve the actuating knob is fully recessed in the sanitary fitting and its outer end face is flush with the adjacent surface regions of the sanitary fitting.

According to the invention the previously customary concept for operating the discharge valve is abandoned: only the opening movement of the closing member of the discharge valve is brought about by pressing on the actuating knob, which projects from the sanitary fitting only in the closed position of the discharge valve. In the open position of the discharge valve, by contrast, which is generally the position in which the discharge valve remains longest, the actuating knob is no longer accessible and also is not visible. In this way, firstly, the optical appearance of the whole sanitary fitting is improved and, secondly, the danger of contamination deposits forming on the actuating knob or the transition zone between the actuating knob and the actuating member is reduced. With the wash-stand or sink unit fitting according to the innovation, closing of the discharge valve is no longer effected by means of the actuating knob but by pressing on the closing member of the discharge valve.

The actuating member used in the wash-stand or sink unit fitting according to the invention must be so configured that forces can be transmitted by pressure (thrust) in both directions. In one embodiment the actuating member is a rod assembly comprising a plurality of articulated individual links. In another embodiment a Bowden cable is used as the actuating member.

The actuating knob may be sealed with respect to the through-bore of the sanitary fitting by a seal, so that water cannot penetrate to the interior through the gap between actuating knob and fitting housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is elucidated in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a wash-stand fitting in a schematic side view and partially in section, with the discharge valve open; and

FIG. 2 shows the wash-stand fitting of FIG. 1 in a similar view, but with the discharge valve closed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The wash-stand fitting illustrated in the drawings, which is denoted as a whole by reference numeral 1, includes a single-lever mixer 2 and a discharge valve 3 which is mounted at the lowest point in the basin of a wash-stand 4.

The single-lever mixer 2 is fixed in known fashion (not shown) to the edge of the wash-stand 4 by means of a threaded pin 5, a fixing plate 6 and a screwing part 7 screwed on to the threaded pin 5. A through-bore 8 passes through the lower rear portion of the fitting body 9 of the single-lever mixer 2 from the rear, lateral face of the fitting body 9 to its end face 10 at the bottom.

The discharge valve 3 includes a valve housing 11 the upper portion of which is fitted in a sealed manner into the base aperture of the wash-stand 4. A closing member 12 which in turn includes a downwardly sealed valve disc 13 and a guide stem 14 is guided in a vertically displaceable manner with respect to the valve housing 11 of the discharge valve 3.

The discharge valve 3 is connected to the single-lever mixer 2 via a rod assembly 23 including two links 23a, 23b. The first link 23a is substantially a straight rod which has at its upper end an actuating knob 24 of increased diameter. In the closed position of the discharge valve 3, illustrated in FIG. 1, the actuating knob 24 is recessed fully in the through-bore 8 of the fitting housing 9. Its external end face 15 is disposed at an acute angle to the axis of the actuating knob 14 and is so formed that in the closed position of the discharge valve 3 it is completely flush with the adjacent surface portions of the single-lever mixer 2. No corners or projections which might impair the aesthetic appearance or form contamination traps are therefore present at this location.

The second link 23b of the rod assembly 23 is inserted in known fashion in the housing 11 of the discharge valve 3, in which it is connected to a mechanism, known as such, by means of which the closing member 12 of the discharge valve 3 can be moved vertically. In addition, the two links 23a and 23b are articulated to one another via a connecting member 16.

As FIG. 1 makes clear, it is not possible to close the closing member 12 of the discharge valve 3 in conventional fashion by pulling the actuating knob 24, since in the open position of the discharge valve 3 the actuating knob 24 is completely recessed in the fitting housing 9 of the single-lever mixer 2. The user's fingers can gain no purchase here. If the discharge valve 3 is to be closed, therefore, the user presses the valve closing member 12 axially downwards, whereby the latter reaches the position illustrated in FIG. 2, in which it abuts the complementary sealing face of the valve housing 11 and thus prevents water from flowing out of the basin of the wash-stand 4. The vertical downward movement of the closing member 12 is transmitted by the rod assembly 23a, 23b to the actuating knob 24 which, as can be seen from FIG. 2, is now pushed out of the fitting housing 9 of the single-lever mixer 2 and projects beyond same. If the discharge valve 3 is to be opened again, pressure can now be exerted on the projecting portion of the actuating knob 24 and the actuating knob 24 can be pushed back into the through-bore 8 of the fitting housing 9, which movement is associated with a corresponding upward movement of the closing member 12 into the open position illustrated in FIG. 1.

While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, numerous modifications may come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.

Claims

1. Sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting, comprising

a) a sanitary fitting which can be mounted on an edge portion of one of a wash-stand or sink unit;

b) a discharge valve which in turn includes: ba) a valve housing which can be mounted at a lowest point of a base of the wash-stand or sink unit; bb) a closing member which is movable with respect to the valve housing and which abuts a sealing face of the valve housing in a closed position of the discharge valve and is spaced from said sealing face in an open position of the discharge valve;

c) an actuating member, ca) a first end portion of which passes through a through-bore of the sanitary fitting and carries an actuating knob which projects from the sanitary fitting in the closed position of the discharge valve; cb) a second end of which is connected to an actuating mechanism for the closing member, which actuating mechanism is located in the valve housing,

characterised in that

d) in the closed position of the discharge valve the actuating knob is fully recessed in the sanitary fitting and its outer end face is flush with adjacent surface regions of the sanitary fitting.

2. Sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting according to claim 1, characterised in that the actuating member is a rod assembly including a plurality of individual links articulated to one another.

3. Sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting according to claim 1, characterised in that the actuating member is a Bowden cable.