CASTING IN THE FORM OF A SINK

Abstract

A casting in the form of a sink, including a basin having a base, a rear wall, a front wall and two interconnecting side walls, and also a circumferential rim that extends to the side of the basin and consists of flat rim sections that extend in a straight line from the lateral edges of the rear wall, the side walls and the front wall. The sink is composed of a composite material including a cured polymeric binder and filler particles intercalated therein. A skirt that surpasses the height of the front wall at least in sections adjoins at least the rim section of the front wall, and its outer face extends at right angles from the outer face of the rim section and in a straight line up to the end thereof.

Claims

1. A casting in the form of a sink, comprising a basin having a base, a rear wall, a front wall and two interconnecting side walls, and also a circumferential rim that extends to the side of the basin and consists of flat rim sections that extend in a straight line from the lateral edges of the rear wall, the side walls and the front wall, wherein the sink consists of a composite material comprising a cured polymeric binder and filler particles intercalated therein, wherein a skirt that surpasses the height of the front wall at least in sections adjoins at least the rim section of the front wall, and its outer face extends at right angles from the outer face of the rim section and in a straight line up to the end thereof.

2. The casting according to claim 1, wherein the skirt consists of a middle skirt section that extends along the front wall and two skirt sections that merge into the rim sections of the side walls in a rounded manner, adjoin the lateral edges thereof and are at right angles to these rim sections.

3. The casting according to claim 2, wherein the horizontal length of the lateral skirt sections is such that they end before the front wall.

4. The casting according to claim 1, wherein the skirt, at least in sections, narrows in thickness towards its end.

5. The casting according to claim 4, wherein the skirt narrows in thickness over its entire height.

6. The casting according to claim 4, wherein the middle skirt section narrows more significantly than the two lateral skirt sections, or all skirt sections narrow in an equivalent manner.

7. The casting according to claim 4, wherein the thickness of the skirt narrows constantly at an angle between 0.1°-1.5°.

8. The casting according to claim 6, wherein the middle skirt region narrows at an angle between 0.5°-1.5°, preferably between 0.7°-1.3°, and especially of 1.0°.

9. The casting according to claim 6, wherein the lateral skirt sections narrow at an angle between 0.1°-1.0°, preferably between 0.2°-0.5°, and especially of 0.2°.

10. The casting according to claim 1, wherein the binder comprises a monomer and a polymer dissolved therein.

11. The casting according to claim 10, wherein the monomer is methyl methacrylate and the polymer is polymethylmethacrylate.

12. The casting according to claim 1, wherein the binder comprises a crosslinker, especially trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate.

13. The casting according to claim 1, wherein it at least is composed of: (a) one or more mono- and one or more polyfunctional acrylic and/or methacrylic biomonomers of vegetable or animal origin, (b) one or more polymers or copolymers selected from polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyols, polyesters made from recycled material or of vegetable or animal origin, (c) inorganic filler particles of natural origin, wherein the proportion of the mono- and polyfunctional acrylic and methacrylic biomonomer(s) is 10-40% by weight, the proportion of the polymer(s) or copolymer(s) is 1-16% by weight and the proportion of inorganic filler particles is 44-89% by weight.

14. The casting according to claim 13, wherein the weight ratio of monofunctional biomonomers to polyfunctional biomonomers is 2:1 to 80:1, preferably 4:1 to 70:1, especially 5:1 to 60:1.

15. The casting according to claim 13, wherein monofunctional biomonomers(s) is/are selected from biobased acrylates, namely n-butyl acrylate, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, isodecyl acrylate, dihydrodicyclopentadienyl acrylate, ethyldiglycol acrylate, heptadecyl acrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxyethylcaprolactone acrylate, polycaprolactone acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, lauryl acrylate, stearyl acrylate, tertiobutyl acrylate, 2-(2-ethoxy)ethyl acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, ethoxylated 4-phenyl acrylate, trimethylcyclohexyl acrylate, octyldecyl acrylate, tridecyl acrylate, ethoxylated 4-nonylphenolacrylate, isobornyl acrylate, cyclic trimethylolpropane formal acrylate, ethoxylated 4-lauryl acrylate, polyester acrylate, stearyl acrylate, hyperbranched polyester acrylate, melamine acrylate, silicone acrylate, epoxy acrylate, and from biobased methacrylates, namely methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, behenyl methacrylate, ehenyl polyethylene glycol methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, isodecyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, stearyl methacrylate, stearyl polyethylene glycol methacrylate, isotridecyl methacrylate, ureido methacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate, phenoxyethyl methacrylate, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanol methacrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, methoxy polyethylene glycol methacrylate, glycedyl methacrylate, hexylethyl methacrylate, glycerol formal methacrylate, lauryltetradecyl methacrylate, C17,4 methacrylate.

16. The casting according to claim 13, wherein the polyfunctional biomonomer(s) is/are selected from biobased acrylates, namely hexanediol 1,6-diacrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, polybutadiene diacrylate, 3-methylpentane-1,5-diol diacrylate, ethoxylated bisphenol A diacrylate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, ethoxylated hexanediol diacrylate, decane-1,10-diol diacrylate, esterdiol diacrylate, alkoxylated diacrylate, tricyclodecanedimethanol diacrylate, propoxylated neopentyl glycol diacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, ditrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, tris(2-hydroxyethyl)isocyanurate triacrylate, dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate, ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, propoxylated glyceryl triacrylate, aliphatic urethane diacrylate, aliphatic urethane hexaacrylate, aliphatic urethane triacrylate, aromatic urethane diacrylate, aromatic urethane triacrylate, aromatic urethane hexaacrylate, polyester hexaacrylate, epoxidized soya oil diacrylate, and from the biobased polyfunctional methacrylates, namely triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, butane-1,4-diol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, hexane-1,6-diol dimethacrylate, decane-1,10-diol dimethacrylate, 1,3-butylene glycol dimethacrylate, ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate, tricyclodecanedimethanol dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate.

17. The casting according to claim 13, wherein the weight ratio of mono- and polyfunctional acrylate and methacrylates to the polymer(s) or copolymer(s) is 90:10 to 60:40, preferably 85:15 to 70:30.

18. The casting according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic filler particles are selected from SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, ZnO, Cr.sub.2O.sub.5, SiC, CaCO.sub.3, quartz sand, quartz flour, carbon, metals or metal alloys.

19. The casting according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic filler particles have a particle size of 0.010 to 8000 μm, preferably 0.05 to 3000 μm, and especially 0.1 to 1300 μm.

20. The casting according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic filler particles have a side ratio of length to width of 1.0 to 1000 (length:width of the individual particles).

21. The casting according to claim 1, wherein the proportion by mass of the filler particles based on the mass of the casting is between 40-85%, especially between 60-80%, preferably between 65-75%.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0045] In the drawing:

[0046] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a sink of the invention,

[0047] FIG. 2 a perspective view of the sink from FIG. 1 from beneath,

[0048] FIG. 3 a top view of the sink from FIG. 1,

[0049] FIG. 4 a sectional view along the IV-IV line and FIG. 3,

[0050] FIG. 5 a front side view along the V-V line from FIG. 3, and

[0051] FIG. 6 a perspective view of an installation example of the sink of the invention from FIG. 1 on a platform cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an inventive casting 1 in the form of a sink 2 comprising a basin 3 having a base 4, a rear wall 5, a front wall 6 and two interconnecting side walls 7, wherein the base 4, in a manner known per se, an outlet 8 is formed.

[0053] Also provided is a circumferential rim 9 consisting of four flat rim sections 10, 11, 12 which extend from the lateral edges of the rear wall 5, of the front wall 6 and of the two side walls 7, and which run horizontally in the installed position with their outer faces visible in the installed position.

[0054] Additionally provided is a skirt 13 which is shaped onto the rim section 11 of the front wall 6 and which surpasses it in terms of height at least in sections, and indeed completely to some degree, as shown by FIGS. 1 and 2, but is also apparent from the other figures.

[0055] The skirt 13 consists of a middle skirt section 14 that extends over the entire length of the front wall 6 or of the rim section 11. This middle skirt section 14 merges into two lateral skirt sections 15 in a rounded manner, where these lateral skirt sections 15 are also shaped integrally onto the adjacent rim sections 12 of the side walls 7. The specific geometry is described in detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 3-5.

[0056] The sink 2 is a casting made of a composite material, comprising a cured polymeric binder that forms the actual matrix, and comprising filler particles intercalated in the matrix. The binder typically comprises at least one monomer and at least one polymer, and different binder compositions are conceivable. Reference is made to the above remarks relating to usable binders or binder compositions.

[0057] As well as various binder batches, it is also possible to use different filler particles that determine the mechanical, physical and visual properties of the sink. These may be selected from SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, ZnO, Cr.sub.2O.sub.5, SiC, CaCO.sub.3, quartz sand, quartz flour, carbon, metals or metal alloys, and have particle sizes in the range between 0.01-8000 μm, preferably in the range of 0.1-1300 μm. The proportion by mass of the filler particles should be between 40-85%, especially between 65-75%, based on the mass of the casting. In this regard too, reference is made to the above remarks relating to usable filler particles.

[0058] This means that different batches or mixtures exist in relation to the casting and the composite material respectively.

[0059] FIGS. 3-5 show the casting 1 and the sink 2 in various views.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the sink 2, looking onto the base 4, also showing the walls drawn slightly inward, namely the rear wall 5, the front wall 6 and the side walls 7.

[0061] Likewise shown is the rim 9 with its different rim sections 10, 11 and 12. The front rim section 11 in the example shown is somewhat broader than the other rim sections 10, 12 after the skirt 13 has been shaped thereon, extending vertically downward. Nevertheless, the width of the rim, in spite of the skirt shaped on, may also be the same around the circumference. As described, this firstly comprises the middle skirt section 14, and secondly the two lateral skirt sections 15. As already apparent in FIG. 2, these merge via a rounding 16 into the middle skirt section 14, meaning that the edge is rounded, such that it is not possible to collide therewith. The radius of this rounding 16 is in the range between 0.5-2 cm.

[0062] FIG. 4 shows a section view through the sink 2, from which the geometric ratios in the region of the skirt 13 in particular are visible.

[0063] As shown by FIG. 4 and especially also FIG. 5, the skirt 13 does not extend over the entire height of the front wall 6, but in the example shown extends only over about ⅔ of the height, where the height of the overhang depends ultimately on the specific case of installation, namely the situation relating to the connection of the skirt 13 to a platform cabinet or the like.

[0064] The skirt 13, or the middle skirt section 14 and the lateral skirt sections 15, had an outer face 17 visible in the installed position, which is at an angle of 90° relative to the visible outer face 18 of the rim section 11, where this angle α is shown in FIG. 4. This means that the two outer faces 17, 18 are at right angles to one another. As stated, this applies both with regard to the middle skirt section 14 and to the two lateral skirt sections 15.

[0065] The skirt 13 or the skirt sections 14, 15 narrow in thickness from the upper end by which they are attached to the rim section 11 or rim sections 12 toward their lower free end. The angle β by which the thickness of the middle skirt section 14 decreases is likewise shown in FIG. 4. The angle γ by which the thickness of the two lateral skirt sections 15 decreases is shown in FIG. 5. This means that the inner face 19, 21 of the skirt 13 or of the respective skirt section 14, 15 that is not visible in the installed position does not run parallel to the visible outer face 17, but runs at an angle.

[0066] This angle β, γ is fundamentally between 0.1-1.5°. In the middle skirt region 14, the angle β is preferably between 0.5°-1.5°, preferably between 0.7°-1.3° and especially about 1.0°. In the two lateral skirt sections 15, this angle γ is between 0.1°-1.0°, preferably between 0.2°-0.5° and especially about 0.2°. This angle γ that exists in the lateral skirt sections 15 and is shown in FIG. 5 defines the angle of the underside 20 of the rim section 11 which is invisible in the installed position with respect to the invisible inner face 21 of the two lateral skirt sections 15, and is 90.2° in the case of a narrowing angle of 0.2°.

[0067] This slight narrowing of the skirt 13 is appropriate for easier demolding, i.e. when the sink 2 is removed from the casting mold after the casting compound has cured.

[0068] As shown by FIG. 4, the lateral skirt sections 15 are relatively short when viewed horizontally, meaning that they do not extend as far as the front wall of the basin 3.

[0069] FIG. 6 shows an installation example of a sink 2 of the invention, here atop a platform cabinet 22, comprising a cabinet body 23 with a rear wall 24, two side walls 25 and one front wall 26, formed, for example, by means of two pivot-mounted doors or the like. A recess 27 is clearly apparent, into which the sink 2 is inserted. The skirt 13 serves as a screen from the front side, ending immediately above the front wall 26 of the platform cabinet 22. By contrast, the two lateral skirt sections 15 adjoin the corresponding front edge of the respective lateral wall 25 flush by their two vertical longitudinal edges, i.e. form a lateral connection of the skirt 13 to the platform cabinet 22 and face an otherwise visible gap between the middle skirt section 14 and the side walls 25. The result is an attractive fitting, with facing by means of the skirt 13.

[0070] In the course of installation, or even ex works, the top edges of the two side walls 25 of the platform cabinet 22, i.e. of the cabinet beneath, are machined about 8 mm deeper in the region on which the sink 2 rests, in accordance with the wall thickness of the lateral rim sections 12 of the rim of the sink 2 that rest thereon. The sink 2 is inserted by its lateral rims into this machined depression. The skirt 13 is not attached here.

[0071] Finally, the worktop (not shown here) is placed on top, and then lies flush on the edges of the sink 2, after which the sink 2 can be secured to the worktop by means of suitable securing means such as undermount clips.

[0072] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.