SINK AND METHOD OF PROVIDING A SINK

Abstract

The invention relates to a sink, in particular an apron sink as a sink, for installation in a piece of sanitary furniture, in particular a piece of kitchen furniture or the like, wherein the sink has a surface, at least one side apron and one front apron, wherein a first edge is formed in a first transition area from the surface to the at least one front apron, and wherein a second edge is formed in a second transition area from the surface to the at least one side apron, wherein the second edge has at least one first and one second edge area of different sizes, wherein the first edge area is disposed adjacent to a transition area from the at least one front apron to the one side apron, and wherein the first edge area of the second edge is formed to merge continuously into the first edge, wherein the first edge area of the second edge is smaller than the first edge, wherein the size of the first and/or second edge is determined on the basis of a radius of the transition from the surface to the at least one side apron and/or from the surface to the front apron.

Claims

1. A sink (1), in particular an apron sink as a sink, for installation in a piece of sanitary furniture, in particular a piece of kitchen furniture or the like, wherein the sink (1) comprises a surface (2), at least one side apron (3) and one front apron (4), wherein a first edge (20) is formed in a first transition area (10) from the surface (2) to the at least one front apron (4), and wherein a second edge (21) is formed in a second transition area (11) from the surface (2) to the at least one side apron (3), characterized in that the second edge (21) has at least one first and one second edge area (30, 31) of different sizes, wherein the first edge area (30) is disposed adjacent to a transition area (12) from the at least one front to one side apron (3, 4), and in that the first edge area (30) of the second edge (21) is formed to merge continuously into the first edge (20), wherein the first edge area (30) of the second edge (21) is smaller than the first edge (20), wherein the size of the first and/or second edge (20, 21) is determined on the basis of a radius (51, 52, 53, 54) of the transition from the surface (2) to the at least one side apron (3) and/or from the surface (2) to the front apron (4).

2. The sink according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle (40) between the at least one side apron (3) and the front apron (4) and/or the angle (41, 42) between the surface (2) and the side apron (3) and/or front apron (4) ranges from 80 degrees to 100 degrees, preferably from 85 degrees to 95 degrees, in particular is roughly 90 degrees.

3. The sink according to claim 1, characterized in that the transition area (12) from the at least one front apron (4) to the at least one side apron (3) is designed to be continuous, in particular curved.

4. The sink according to claim 3, characterized in that the transition area (12) from the at least one front apron (4) to the at least one side apron (3) is provided with a radius of curvature (50), which is at least 3 times, in particular more than 6 times, preferably more than 10 times the size of the first edge (20).

5. The sink according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio of the radii of the first edge (20) and the first edge area (30) of the second edge (21) is at least 1.5, preferably at least 2.0, in particular at least 2.5, preferably at least 3, in particular 4, 4.5 or 5.

6. The sink according to a claim 1, characterized in that the second edge (21) has at least two first edge areas (30), each of which is arranged adjacent to different side aprons.

7. The sink according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio of the radii of the first edge area (30) and the second edge area (31) of the second edge (21) is at least 2.5, preferably at least 5.0, in particular at least 7.5, preferably at least 9, in particular 10, 11 or 12.

8. The sink according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio of the lengths (60, 61) of the first and of the second edge areas (30, 31) along the surface (2) is at least 1.5, preferably at least 2.5, in particular at least 3, preferably at least 4, in particular 5 or more.

9. The sink according to claim 1, characterized in that the second edge area (31) of the second edge (21) is formed as an edge having the radius 0.

10. The sink according to claim 1, characterized in that the sink (1) is integrally formed.

11. The sink according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface (2) and/or the side apron (4) has/have a recess (80) extending in parallel to the surface (2) in the area of the second edge area (31) and/or in that the at least one side apron (3) is designed to extend only partially along a side wall of the sink (1).

12. A method for providing a sink (1) for sunken and flush-mount installation, comprising the steps: manufacturing (S1) of a sink (1) having a surface (2), at least one side apron (3) and one front apron (4), forming (S2) a first edge (20) in a first transition area (10) from the surface (2) to the at least one front apron (4), forming (S3) a second edge (21) in a second transition area (11) from the surface (2) to the at least one side apron (3), characterized in that the second edge (21) has at least one first and one second edge area (30, 31) of different sizes, wherein the first edge area (30) is disposed adjacent to a transition area (12) from the at least one front to one side apron (3, 4), and in that the first edge area (30) of the second edge (21) is formed to merge continuously into the first edge (20), wherein the first edge area (30) of the second edge (21) is smaller than the first edge (20), wherein the size of the first and/or second edge (20, 21) is determined on the basis of a radius (51, 52, 53, 54) of the transition from the surface (2) to the at least one side apron (3) and/or from the surface (2) to the front apron (4).

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the sizes of the first and the second edge area (30, 31) are manufactured such that the ratio of the radii of the first edge area (30) and the second edge area (31) is at least 2.5, preferably at least 5.0, in particular at least 7.5, preferably at least 9, in particular 10, 11 or 12.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that in the area of the second edge area (31) the surface (2) and/or at least one side apron is/are produced in parallel to the surface (2) with a recess.

15. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the sink (1) is produced including the second edge area (31) of the second edge (21), with the exception of the first edge (20) and the first edge area (30) of the second edge (21), and the second edge area (31) thus produced is milled and/or ground to form an edge.

Description

[0038] In the Figures

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional schematic view of a section of a front corner region of an apron sink according to an embodiment of this invention;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional schematic view of a section of the front corner area of the apron sink of FIG. 1;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional schematic view of a section of the front corner region of an apron sink according to an embodiment of this invention; and

[0042] FIG. 4 shows steps of a method system according to an embodiment of this invention.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional schematic view of a section of a front corner region of an apron sink according to an embodiment of this invention.

[0044] In detail, FIG. 1 shows a section of a left front corner of an apron sink 1. The apron sink 1 has a flat circumferential surface 2 in the form of a wide protrusion, which merges into a front apron 4 in the front area and into a side apron 3 at the side. The planes of front apron 4 and side apron 3, surface 2 and side apron 3, and surface 2 and front apron 4 each form an angle 40, 41, 42 of about 90 degrees. The left side of FIG. 1 shows a section of a countertop 5, in which the apron sink is installed flush with the surface. Between the surface 2, which is largely horizontal in the installation position, and the front apron 4, a first transition area 10 is formed having a first edge with a first radius 51 such that a rounded transition is formed from the surface 2 to the front apron 4. For instance, the first radius 51 can be in the range of 1.5 mm to 4 mm. Furthermore, a second transition area 11 with a second edge 21 is formed from the surface 2 to the side apron 3 shown. This second edge 21 has two sections 30, 31, which have a different radius 54, 53, such that in each case there is a transition from the surface 2 to the side apron 3. The radius 53 can be formed to be 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, for instance.

[0045] For instance, the length 60 of the section 30 along the surface 2 may be 2 mm to 100 mm, preferably 50 mm to 70 mm. The length 61 of the second section 31 is more than five times that of the length of the first section 30 of the second edge 21. In this case, the radius 51 between the surface 2 and the front apron 4 is larger than the radius 54 of the second section 31 of the second edge 21, but larger than the radius 53 of the first section 30 of the second edge 21 in the two front corners of the apron sink 1, that is, in the corners adjacent to the front apron 4. The section 31 with the radius 54 has a radius of 0 mm, in other words an edge is formed between the side apron 3 and the surface 2. Here, not only the second transition area 11 is milled, but largely the remaining areas of the left and right side aprons and the rear panel 6 are milled except for the sections 30 and the front apron 4.

[0046] Along the area of the surface 2 extending from the bottom right to the top left in FIG. 1, the radii 54, 53 of different sizes merge at least steadily, in particular continuously. Finally, there is also a rounded transition with radius 50 in the transition area 12 from the front apron 4 to the side apron 3. For instance, the radius 50 can be between 5 mm and 200 mm, preferably between 7.5 mm and 100 mm, in particular between 10 mm and 40 mm, preferably between 10 mm and 20 mm. Furthermore, the transition from the first radius 51 to the radius 53 of the second edge 21 with continuously changing radius 52 takes place in the transition area 12.

[0047] FIGS. 2 and 3 each show three-dimensional schematic view of a section of the front corner region of an apron sink according to one embodiment of this invention.

[0048] In detail, FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional view according to FIG. 1 without the countertop 5, wherein parts of the side apron 3 in the area 90 have been removed, for instance by milling, and at the same time the radius 54 of the second section 31 of the second edge 21 has been formed to be an edge 8 (radius 0 mm). A “hard” transition has been created between the two radii 53 and 54 of the two sections 30, 31 of the second edge 21, that is, the transition is steady but not continuous.

[0049] In the illustration of FIG. 2, the section 31, into which the edge 8 has been milled, has a protrusion 70 with respect to the section 30, which has not been milled, i.e. the side apron 3 is produced in this area with a correspondingly large material thickness to allow the protrusion 70 on the one hand, and the edge 8 in the section 31 on the other hand.

[0050] Alternatively, in a further embodiment of FIG. 3, it is also possible to provide a recess 80 instead of the protrusion 70, i.e. the remaining part of the side apron 3 in the area 30 protrudes accordingly. This offers further advantages for a flush-mount installation of the apron sink 1.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows steps of a method according to one embodiment of this invention.

[0052] In detail, FIG. 4 shows steps of a process for providing a sink for a sunken or flush-mount installation.

[0053] The method comprises the steps outlined below.

[0054] In a first step S1, a sink with a surface, at least one side apron and one front apron is manufactured.

[0055] In a further step S2, a first edge is formed in a first transition area from the surface to the at least one front apron.

[0056] In a further step S3, a first edge is formed in a second transition area from the surface to the at least one side apron.

[0057] At least one of the steps S1-S3 is performed in that the second edge has at least one first and one second edge area of different sizes, wherein the first edge area is disposed adjacent to a transition area from the at least one front to one side apron, and in that the first edge area of the second edge is formed to merge continuously into the first edge, wherein the first edge area of the second edge is smaller than the first edge, and wherein the size of the first and/or second edge is determined on the basis of a radius of the transition from the surface to the at least one side apron and/or from the surface to the front apron.

[0058] In summary, at least one of the embodiments of the invention has at least one of the advantages listed below: [0059] Simple and inexpensive to manufacture, [0060] High flexibility with regard to different installation types, in particular flush-mount installation and sunken installation, [0061] High level of visual appeal, [0062] Easy demoldability from a casting mold when the sink is manufactured as a cast part.

[0063] Although this invention has been described with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto and can be modified in a variety of ways.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0064] 1 Apron sink [0065] 2 Surface [0066] 3 Side apron [0067] 4 Front apron [0068] 5 Countertop [0069] 6 Rear panel [0070] 8 Edge [0071] 10 First transition area [0072] 11 Second transition area [0073] 12 Transition area [0074] 20 First edge [0075] 21 Second edge [0076] 30 First edge area/section [0077] 31 Second edge area/section [0078] 40, 41, 42 Angle [0079] 50 Radius of curvature [0080] 51, 52, 53, 54 Radius edge [0081] 60, 61 Length [0082] 70 Projection [0083] 80 Recess