Faucet column and free-standing sanitary fitting system

Abstract

A faucet column and/or free-standing sanitary fitting with the faucet column includes a floor-side column end and a faucet-carrying column end, with at least one water conduit disposed within the faucet column, extending from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end. The faucet column includes a supporting profile which extends from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end, at least one cavity which encompasses the water conduit and extends from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end and is provided by the supporting profile, and an enveloping element which surrounds the supporting profile.

Claims

1. A faucet column for a free-standing sanitary fitting, comprising: a floor-side column end and a faucet-carrying column end, wherein the faucet-carrying column end is a top side end face of the column, at least one water conduit within the faucet column, extending from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end, a supporting profile, extending from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end, wherein the supporting profile is a profiled extruded section and comprises one of a structural profile and a profiled steel, at least one cavity, encompassing the water conduit and extending from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end and provided by the supporting profile, and an enveloping element, surrounding the supporting profile.

2. The faucet column according to claim 1, wherein the water conduit comprises at least one of a tube line and a hose line disposed within the cavity.

3. The faucet column according to claim 2, wherein said at least one of the tube line and the hose line is supported in the cavity on at least 60% of a lateral surface of said at least one of the tube line and the hose line, by a wall of the cavity.

4. The faucet column according to claim 1, wherein the enveloping element comprises a tube.

5. The faucet column according to claim 1, wherein a geometry of the supporting profile has at least one of an axis of symmetry in cross section and a point symmetry.

6. The faucet column according to claim 1, wherein the supporting profile comprises a one-piece hollow profile and the one piece hollow profile comprises a plurality of cavities.

7. A free-standing sanitary faucet system, comprising: a faucet column having a floor-side column end and a faucet-carrying column end, wherein the faucet-carrying column end is a top side end face of the column, a supporting profile of the faucet column, the supporting profile extending from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end, wherein the supporting profile is a profiled extruded section and comprises one of a structural profile and a profiled steel, an enveloping element surrounding the supporting profile, a water outlet fitting configured for attachment to the supporting profile at the faucet-carrying column end, at least one water conduit within the faucet column, extending from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end, at least one cavity encompassing the water conduit and extending from the floor-side column end up to the faucet-carrying column end, wherein the at least one cavity is provided by the supporting profile, wherein the floor-side column end of the faucet column comprises structure configured for attachment to a building floor.

8. The free-standing sanitary faucet system according to claim 7, wherein the water conduit comprises at least one of a tube line and a hose line disposed within the cavity.

9. The free-standing sanitary faucet system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one of the tube line and the hose line is supported in the cavity on at least 60% of a lateral surface of said at least one of the tube line and the hose line, by a wall of the cavity.

10. The free-standing sanitary faucet system according to claim 7, wherein the enveloping element comprises a tube.

11. The free-standing sanitary faucet system according to claim 7, wherein a geometry of the supporting profile has at least one of an axis of symmetry in cross section and a point symmetry.

12. The free-standing sanitary faucet system according to claim 7, wherein the supporting profile comprises a one-piece hollow profile and the one piece hollow profile comprises a plurality of cavities.

Description

(1) Advantageous embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following text. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cross section through a faucet column,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a partial side view of a free-standing sanitary fitting system having the faucet column in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the sanitary fitting system along a line III-III in FIG. 2, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the sanitary fitting system along a line IV-IV in FIG. 3.

(6) As can be seen in FIG. 1, the faucet column shown has an enveloping element 6 and a supporting profile 4, wherein the supporting profile 4 is embodied as a one-piece hollow profile which has a closed cavity 5 and an open cavity 12 in duplicate. The enveloping element 6 is arranged in a manner surrounding the supporting profile 4.

(7) Each of the two open cavities 12 is suitable for receiving a water conduit. In order to make it easier to insert an elastic line as water conduit, each open cavity 12 has a respective opening 13 radially towards the outside, which extends as a gap along the entire length of the faucet column. If necessary, it is thus possible for an elastic hose or the like to be inserted into the open cavity 12 in that said hose is pushed laterally through the opening 13 into the open cavity 12 and thus into the supporting profile 4. Alternatively and/or in addition, the open cavity 12 can be used to connect the supporting profile 4 to, for example, a water outlet fitting and/or a supporting floor by means of screws and/or pins.

(8) Furthermore, the closed cavity 5 is also suitable as a water conduit or for receiving a water-conducting line. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the closed cavity 5 has two sub-cavities, which are connected together via a gap opening 15. The closed cavity 5 with its two sub-cavities has, in cross section, the geometric shape of an eight. Both of the sub-cavities each have a water conduit 3 in the form of a pipeline or hose line 7 made of plastics material, wherein one water conduit 3 is configured to conduct hot water and the other water conduit 3 is configured to conduct cold water. In order to insert the respective pipeline/hose line 7 into the relevant sub-cavity or to remove it therefrom, the closed cavity 5 is accessible from at least one end side of the supporting profile 4.

(9) The supporting profile 4 is a structural profile 8 made for example of aluminium that was produced by an extrusion method. In order to increase the rigidity and/or flexural rigidity of the supporting profile 4, the latter has reinforcing ribs 14. With regard to a centre 16 of the cross-sectional geometry of the supporting profile 4, the reinforcing ribs 14 extend in a radial direction. The reinforcing ribs 14 allow the supporting profile 4 to take up greater transverse forces. Furthermore, in terms of its cross-sectional geometry, the supporting profile 4, including its reinforcing ribs 14, is symmetrical with regard to two mutually perpendicular axes of symmetry 10 and has point symmetry with regard to the centre 16.

(10) The supporting profile 4 is surrounded by the enveloping element 6, which, in the example shown, is configured as a decorative tube 9 in the form of a circular-cylindrical tube. In an embodiment (not shown) of the faucet column, the decorative tube 9 can be for example in touching contact with the reinforcing ribs 14, which as a result perform a supporting and centring function for the decorative tube 9. The decorative tube 9 consists preferably of a higher-grade material than the supporting profile 4. Forces that occur, for example the weight force of a water outlet fitting or transverse forces as a result of actuation of a water outlet fitting fastened to the supporting profile 4, are taken up predominantly by the supporting profile 4. Thus, the decorative tube 9 takes up at most a small proportion, for example less than 50%, of the forces that occur and can consequently be configured in a material-saving and thin-walled manner, for example with a wall thickness of less than 5 mm.

(11) In alternative variant embodiments (not shown) of the faucet column, the faucet column has a single water conduit or more than two water conduits. The water conduits can be formed by means of a pipeline or hose line or a combination of both line possibilities. Thus, in the case of a plurality of water conduits, it is possible for example for one water conduit to be realized by a hose line and for the remaining water conduits each to be realized by a pipeline.

(12) FIGS. 2 to 4 show a free-standing sanitary fitting system which has the faucet column according to FIG. 1 and a water outlet fitting 11, wherein the water outlet fitting 11 is embodied in the form of a mixer fitting and has a water outlet opening 19. The water outlet fitting 11 is designed to be attached to the faucet-carrying column end 2 of the supporting profile 4. To this end, the water outlet fitting 11 has a kind of sleeve which is closed on one side and is partially surrounded by the enveloping element 6 and in which the supporting profile 4 of the faucet column is fastened by way of screw connections 17. The supporting profile 4 has a screw insertion region 20, which makes it possible to insert the screws of the screw connections 17 into the open cavities 12 of the supporting profile 4. For this purpose, in the screw insertion region 20, the reinforcing ribs 14, which bound the respective opening 13 of the open cavities 12, have been removed by material machining on the supporting profile 4.

(13) Located on the opposite side from the faucet-carrying column end 2 is a floor-side column end 1 of the faucet column, said end being received in a floor-fastening receptacle 18 in the example shown. The floor-fastening receptacle 18 has a receiving portion in the manner of a sleeve that is closed on one side and in which the supporting profile 4 of the faucet column is fastened. The enveloping element 6 of the faucet column in this case partially surrounds the floor-fastening receptacle 18. The floor-fastening receptacle 18 is fastened to a floor (not illustrated in more detail) via screw connections or pin connections. Furthermore, the floor-fastening receptacle 18 has a water supply which is attached to the water conduit 3 of the faucet column at the floor-side column end 1, wherein the water outlet fitting 11 is connected to the water conduit 3 at the faucet-carrying column end 2.

(14) It is clear from FIG. 2 that the enveloping element 6 surrounds the supporting profile 4 such that the supporting profile 4 of the faucet column cannot be seen and such that flush and touching contact at the end side arises between the enveloping element 6 and the water outlet fitting 11. FIGS. 3 and 4 show that touching contact arises between the enveloping element 6 and the floor-fastening receptacle 18.

(15) In the embodiment shown of the faucet column, the respective pipeline/hose line 7, which is arranged in the cavity 5, is supported on at least 60% of its lateral surface by the wall of the cavity 5, in this case to be more precise by the wall of the respective sub-cavity. As a result of the support against the wall of the cavity 5, the pressure resistance of the respective pipeline/hose line 7 increases. Thus, it is possible, as desired, to select a material for the pipeline/hose line 7 which would not withstand the water pressure without being supported against the cavity.

(16) As the exemplary embodiments explained above make clear, the invention provides a faucet column and a free-standing sanitary fitting system which reduce the production and installation costs in that a supporting profile is used which consists of an easy-to-process and cost-effective material and can be surrounded by an enveloping element made of a higher-grade material.