Rotatable Sink

Abstract

A rotatable sink is provided. The rotatable sink may have a stationary unit having a faucet and a rotatable sink basin unit. The sink basin unit may move from a first orientation which covers the faucet to a second orientation wherein the sink basin may receive water dispensed from the faucet. In an embodiment, the rotation of the sink basin downward to the second orientation automatically activates the faucet to turn on and the rotation of the sink basin unit upward to the first orientation automatically turns off the faucet. A sensor may also be present to automatically activate the rotatable sink.

Claims

1) A sink comprising: a stationary unit secured to a wall; a sink basin wherein the sink basin rotates from an upward position to a downward position with respect to the stationary unit; wherein the sink basin collects water; and a pivot wherein the sink basin rotates with respect to the stationary unit at the pivot.

2) The sink of claim 1 wherein the sink basin is prevented from rotating into a position less than five degrees with respect to the floor.

3) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: a first side of the sink basin and a second side of the sink basin.

4) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: a faucet secured to the stationary unit.

5) The sink of claim 4 wherein the faucet is concealed by the sink basin when the sink basin is in the upward position but wherein the faucet is visible when the sink basin is in the downward position.

6) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: a sensor to automatically rotate the sink basin at the pivot.

7. The sink of claim 4 further comprising: a sensor to automatically turn on the faucet when the sink basin is in the downward position.

8) The sink of claim 1 wherein the sink basin has a front and a back and wherein the back of the sink basin is open.

9) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: an automatic soap dispenser unit secured to the stationary unit.

10) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: a UV sterilization light secured to the stationary unit.

11) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: a handle on a front of the sink basin.

12) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: a first side panel attached to the stationary unit; a second side panel attached to the stationary unit; a front panel attached stationary unit; a bottom unit attached to the stationary unit; and wherein the first side panel, the second side panel, the front panel, the bottom unit and the stationary unit collective create a hollow reservoir for receiving water from a faucet.

13) The sink of claim 12 wherein a pivot for the sink basin is located on the first side panel and the second side panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of the rotatable sink in the upward position.

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the rotatable sink of FIG. 1 in the downward position.

[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the sink in an alternative embodiment wherein the sink basin and faucet are visible through a transparent (for illustrative purposes) side panel and wherein the sink basin is in the upward (closed) position.

[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the sink of FIG. 3 wherein the sink basin is in the downward (open) position.

[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment wherein the sink basin folds from the current upward position to the downward position of FIG. 6.

[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 5 wherein the sink basin is in the downward position.

[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the rotatable sink with additional elements including sensors and a handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] A rotatable sink is provided. The rotatable sink may have a stationary unit having a faucet and a rotatable sink basin unit. The sink basin unit may move from a first orientation which covers the faucet to a second orientation wherein the sink basin may receive water dispensed from the faucet. In an embodiment, the rotation of the sink basin downward to the second orientation automatically activates the faucet to turn on and the rotation of the sink basin unit upward to the first orientation automatically turns off the faucet. A sensor may also be present to automatically activate the rotatable sink.

[0023] Referring first to FIG. 1, in an embodiment, a rotatable sink 1 is provided. The rotatable sink 1 is preferably made of a durable material such as, for example, metal, porcelain, plastic or the like; however, it should be understood that the rotatable sink 1 of the present application may be made of any suitable material.

[0024] The rotatable sink 1 may have a stationary member 10 and a rotatable sink basin 20. The rotatable sink basin 20 may rotate with respect to the stationary member 10 at a pivot 30. The stationary member 10 may have a top 11, a bottom 12, a first side 13, a second side (not visible), a front 15 and a back 16. In the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the stationary member 10 may also have side panels 89 (as discussed below). In an embodiment, the back 16 of the stationary member 10 is secured to a wall of, for example, a bathroom or kitchen or the interior wall of a vehicle. Located on the front 15 of the stationary member 10 may be faucet 18 which delivers, for example, water 19.

[0025] The rotatable sink basin 20 may have a top 21, a bottom 22, a first side 23, a second side (not visible), a front 25 and a back 26. In an embodiment, the front 25 of the sink basin 20 may be the surface generally visible to the user when the rotatable sink 1 is in the upward (non-usable or “off”) orientation of FIG. 1. The front 25 of the rotatable sink basin 20 may also act as the water 19 collector when the sink 1 is in use. The back 26 of the sink basin 20 may face the stationary member 10 may be generally not be visible when the sink basin 20 is rotated into the upward orientation of FIG. 1, 3 or 5. In the upward orientation of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sink basin 20 may cover the faucet 18 so that the faucet 18 is not visible when the rotatable sink 1 is not in use (as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5).

[0026] In an embodiment, the sink basin 20 may receive the water 19 exiting the faucet 18 when the faucet 18 is in use. In an embodiment, the sink basin 20 may have a drain 40. The drain 40 may allow water 19 which accumulates in the sink basin 20 to be properly drained. In an embodiment, an exit tube or pipe 83 may be connected to the drain 40 and may drain the water 19 into the proper pipeline within the wall. In an embodiment, not only will the drain 40 allow the water 19 accumulated in the sink basin 20 to properly drain, but when the user (or automated via sensors 50 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) rotates the sink basin 20 upward after use, the excess water 19 in the sink basin 20 may be properly drained off the sink basin 20 by gravity once the sink basin 20 is rotated upward, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5.

[0027] In an embodiment, the stationary member 10 may have a bottom unit 61. The bottom unit 61 may be permanently secured to the stationary member 10 and may not move. The bottom unit 61 may house the drain 40. In this embodiment, the rotatable sink basin 20 may rotate between the upward position and the downward position of (just like the prior embodiments); however, in this embodiment, the drain 40 is attached to the stationary member 10 and is not located in the actual sink basin 20. In an embodiment, a front surface 25 of the sink basin 20 always remains at least five degrees elevated from the floor so that the water 19 that enters the sink basin 20 will automatically flow downward via gravity to the drain 40 of the bottom unit 61.

[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a preferred alternative embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the sink basin 20 may rotate at a pivot 30 from an upward (closed) orientation of FIG. 3 to the downward (open) orientation of FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the sink basin 20 is generally rectangular in shape, having a front 71 and a back 72. The back 72 may be open, allowing for water 19 accumulated within the sink basin 20 to flow off the back 72 of and out of the sink basin 20 while the front 71 may be open or closed, depending on the desired design. The sink basin 20 may have a first side 73 and a second, generally identical, side (second side not visible). The sides 73 of the sink basin 20 may prevent water 19 from exiting the sink basin 20 at the sides 73.

[0029] In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the stationary member 10 may have a first side panel 89 and a second, generally identical, side panel (not visible). The first side panel 89 and the second side panel may provide a structural support for the pivot 30 to allow the sink basin 20 to rotate from the first position of FIG. 3 to the second position of FIG. 4. The sides panels 89 of the stationary member 10 may also have a front panel 90 (therein forming a small interior hollow collection area 105 defined by the front panel 90, the bottom of the stationary member 10 and the bottom of the two side panel units 89). The front panel 90 may be connected to the side panels 89 and may be angled so as to direct water 19 entering the collection area 105 toward the drain 40 located in a bottom unit 61 wherein the water 19 then enters the pipes of the building.

[0030] In one embodiment, the sink basin 20 may rotate with respect to the stationary member 10 upon activation of a motion sensor 50. The motion sensor 50 may be located, for example, at the top 11 of the stationary member 10 and may be able to tell when a person is standing directly in front of the rotatable sink 1 and ready to use the sink 1. Upon activation of the sensor 50, the sink basin 20 may rotate down to the downward positions of FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 during use. The sensor 50 may also, in an embodiment, automatically turn on the faucet 18 so that water 19 flows out of the faucet 18. Once the person moves away from the sensor 50, the faucet 18 may automatically turn off the water 19 flow and the sink basin 20 may automatically rotate back upward to the closed position of FIGS. 1, 3 and 5. Therefore, the sensor 50 may allow a user to use the rotatable sink 1 without the need to touch the rotatable sink 1. As a result, the person's hands and the rotatable sink 1 both have less chance of obtaining bacteria or other harmful pathogens.

[0031] In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the sink basin 20 is not permitted to rotate to a completely flat orientation with respect to the ground (similar to the inclined restrictive positon of FIG. 2). As a result, the front surface 25 (which also acts as the bottom) of the sink basin 20 forces the water 19 to flow off the back 72 of the sink basin 20 toward the front panel 90 and then to the drain 40 by gravity. In one embodiment, the water 19 must reach at least 0.5 inch deep to exit the back 72 of the sink basin 20. In one embodiment, the back 72 of the sink basin 20 has a small opening drain as opposed to the entire back 72 of the sink basin 20 being open. In either embodiment, the water 19 exits the sink basin 20 by the back 72 of the sink basin 20.

[0032] In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, when the sink basin 20 is rotated in the upward orientation of FIG. 3 the faucet 18 is preferably not visible, as is instead obstructed from view by the front panel 25 of the sink basin 20. When the sink basin 20 is in the downward orientation, the faucet 18 is visible and usable. Further, in an embodiment, the faucet 18 may automatically activate when the sink basin 20 is in the downward orientation, as described above.

[0033] In an alternative embodiment, a sensor 80 (FIG. 7) may also automatically dispense soap from a soap dispenser 85. In an embodiment with the soap dispenser 85, the soap dispenser 85 may also be located on the stationary member 10 (similar to the faucet 18) so that the soap dispenser 85 is concealed when the sink basin 20 is rotated in the upward position.

[0034] In yet another embodiment as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sink basin 20 may also be folded downward at a hinge 123. In this embodiment, the stationary member 10 generally lacks the side panels 89 of the stationary member 10 of FIGS. 3 and 4. An opening 116 may be present at the back 72 of the sink basin 20 and may allow water 19 accumulated in the sink basin 20 to exit the sink basin 20 and enter the drain 40 of the sink 1. Once rotated back upward into the closed position of FIG. 5, any remaining water 19 in the sink basin 20 will further exit through the opening 116 and enter the drain 40 via gravity.

[0035] And, in an embodiment, the rotatable sink may have an optional UV (ultraviolet) sterilization light 95 (FIG. 7) to reduce or eliminate bacteria and viruses. The optional UV light 95 may be automatically activated upon a sensor triggering the presence of a person. In one embodiment, the sink basin 20 my also cover an air dryer so a user can dry his/her hands.

[0036] Finally, in another embodiment, the rotatable sink 1 may be operated by a foot pedal (not shown) which is connected to the rotatable sink 1 by, for example, either a mechanical or electrical signal. In still another embodiment, the rotatable sink 1 may have a handle 75 which allows a user to manually rotate the sink basin 20 from the stationary member 10. The optional handle 75 (FIG. 7) may be especially useful if the sensor 50 fails to work.

[0037] Although embodiments of the invention are shown and described therein, it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.