Sink station with cover
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.
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 INVENTIONThe 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 DRAWINGSIn the drawings:
Referring to the drawings,
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
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
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
Referring now to
Referring to
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
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 (
An exemplary description of the operation of the pivoting cover 34 follows, with reference to
To move the cover 34 from the closed position (
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
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 (
Referring to
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
To move the cover 34′ from the closed position (
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
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.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 30, 2005
Publication Date: Jul 12, 2007
Inventors: James Kendall (Stevensville, MI), Richard Sunshine (Granger, IN), Vicki Wyatt (Watervliet, MI)
Application Number: 11/322,944
International Classification: A47B 77/06 (20060101); A47K 1/04 (20060101); E03C 1/00 (20060101);