METHOD FOR PRODUCING A TUB-SHAPED SANITARY OBJECT MADE OF PLASTIC WITH A VISIBLE SIDE AND A BOTTOM

Abstract

A method for producing a tub-shaped sanitary object made of plastic with a visible side and a bottom, including the following steps: providing a plastic sheet to be molded to form the sanitary object; providing a forming device having a frame arrangement including a first frame with a first frame-shaped bending structure and a second frame with a second frame-shaped bending structure, wherein the plastic sheet is to be formed by bending structures; arranging and attaching the heated plastic sheet to the first frame; inserting the second frame into the open first frame into a forming end position so that the second frame takes along the plastic sheet with its bending structure when it is inserted, wherein the plastic sheet is formed into a tub shape by both the first and the second bending structure; and, cooling the formed plastic sheet.

Claims

1. A method for producing a tub-shaped sanitary object made of plastic with a visible side and a bottom, comprising the following steps: -providing a plastic sheet to be molded to form the sanitary object, providing a forming device comprising a frame arrangement having a first frame with a first frame-shaped bending structure and a second frame with a second frame-shaped bending structure, wherein the plastic sheet is to be formed by means of the bending structures, arranging and attaching the heated plastic sheet to the first frame, inserting the second frame into the open first frame into a forming end position in such a way that the second frame takes along the plastic sheet with its bending structure when it is inserted, wherein the plastic sheet is formed into a tub shape by means of both the first and the second bending structure, cooling the formed plastic sheet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing layer is applied to the bottom after cooling.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a frame arrangement having a first frame is used, the first bending structure of which comprises an outer first structural section and a second structural section which extends parallel thereto and is lying inside the first structural section, wherein the heated plastic sheet is arranged on the first frame in such a way that it is bent with its side edge around the first structural section which is lying further outside, forming an edge section of the sanitary object.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the plastic sheet is arranged resting on the two structural sections which extend in a common plane, or in that the plastic sheet is arranged resting only on the first structural section which is lying further outside and is only moved against the second structural section which is lying lower and is formed over this when the second frame is inserted.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second frame is inserted into the first frame until a stop is reached against which the second frame runs or against which the plastic sheet is moved during forming.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a frame arrangement is used in which the stop is height-adjustable.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the second frame is inserted or after reaching the forming end position, a patrix-shaped forming element which is provided on the second frame locally forms the plastic sheet, while forming a drain geometry.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the patrix-shaped forming element is brought into operative connection with a matrix-shaped forming element which is provided on the first frame in the forming end position.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein a frame arrangement is used in which the patrix-shaped forming element or both forming elements are arranged on the first and on the second frame in their position which can be changed.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a frame arrangement is used in which the second frame can be adjusted relative to the first frame in at least one direction in order to change the inserted position.

11. A forming device for producing a tub-shaped sanitary object made of plastic with a visible side and a bottom, comprising a frame arrangement having a first frame with a first frame-shaped bending structure and a second frame with a second frame-shaped bending structure, wherein the second frame can be inserted into the first frame while taking with it a plastic sheet which is fixed to the first frame and the plastic sheet can be formed by means of the bending structures of both frames while forming bends.

12. The forming device according to claim 11, wherein the first frame comprises a first framework structure, on which the first bending structure is arranged, and the second frame comprises a second framework structure, on which the second bending structure is arranged.

13. The forming device according to claim 11, wherein the first bending structure is formed by means of flat struts which have a rectangular cross-section and are connected in a frame-shaped manner and the second bending structure is formed by means of round or oval struts which are connected in a frame-shaped manner.

14. The forming device according to claim 11, wherein the first bending structure comprises an outer first frame-shaped structural section and a second frame-shaped structural section which extends parallel thereto and is lying inside the first structural section.

15. The forming device according to claim 14, wherein the two structural sections extend in a common plane, or in that the first structural section which is lying further outside is higher than the second structural section which is lying inside.

16. The forming device according to claim 11, wherein a fixing device is provided for attaching the plastic sheet to the first frame.

17. The forming device according to claim 16, wherein the fixing device is designed to clamp an edge section of the plastic sheet which is bent around the first bending structure, in particular the outer first structural section.

18. The forming device according to claim 17, wherein the fixing device comprises clamping strips which can be placed laterally against the first bending structure or the first structural section and clamp the edge section thereto.

19. The forming device according to claim 11, wherein a stop is provided on the first frame, against which the second frame or against which the plastic sheet can be moved during forming.

20. The forming device according to claim 19, wherein the stop is height-adjustable.

21. The forming device according to claim 20, wherein the first framework structure comprises a framework section which is arranged in a height-adjustable manner on vertical carriers and on which the stop is arranged.

22. The forming device according to claim 21, wherein the framework section is frame-shaped and is provided with two stop elements which are positioned offset with respect to one another.

23. The forming device according to claim 11, wherein a patrix-shaped forming element is provided on the second frame for forming the plastic sheet while forming a drain geometry.

24. The forming device according to claim 23, wherein a matrix-shaped forming element is provided on the first frame, which can be brought into operative connection with the patrix-shaped forming element in the forming end position.

25. The forming device according to claim 24, wherein the patrix-shaped forming element is movable by means of an adjusting means from a rest position, in which it is at a distance from the plastic sheet, into a forming position, in which it forms the plastic sheet while forming the drain geometry.

26. The forming device according to claim 23, wherein the patrix-shaped forming element or both forming elements are arranged on the first and on the second frame in their position which can be changed.

27. The forming device according to claim 26, wherein the matrix-shaped forming element is arranged on a carrier that is displaceably arranged on the first framework structure and the patrix-shaped forming element is arranged on a carrier that is displaceably arranged on the second framework structure.

28. The forming device according to claim 27, wherein both forming elements are displaceably arranged on the carrier.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a forming device according to the invention of a first embodiment, wherein the second frame is inserted into the first frame into the forming end position,

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the first frame,

[0051] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the second frame,

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the forming device from FIG. 1,

[0053] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged partial view of the forming device from FIG. 1, showing the two forming elements that form the drain geometry,

[0054] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the forming device from FIG. 1 with formed plastic sheet,

[0055] FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the arrangement from FIG. 7,

[0056] FIG. 8 shows a view of the forming area in the transition from a side wall to the bottom,

[0057] FIG. 9 shows a view of the forming area of the drain geometry,

[0058] FIG. 10 shows a schematic representation of a forming device according to the invention of a second embodiment for producing a shower tray with a second frame inserted into the first frame,

[0059] FIG. 11 shows a sectional view through the arrangement from FIG. 10,

[0060] FIG. 12 shows a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 11 with the formed plastic sheet shown,

[0061] FIG. 13 shows the arrangement from FIG. 12 with interacting forming elements,

[0062] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a forming device according to the invention of a third embodiment for producing an elongated shower tray, and

[0063] FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the forming device from FIG. 14 for producing a flatter shower tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0064] FIG. 1 shows a forming device 1 according to the invention for producing a tub-shaped sanitary object made of plastic with a visible side and a bottom. The forming device 1 shown is designed so as to produce a bathtub. The forming device 1 comprises a frame arrangement 2 which comprises a first frame 3 and a second frame 4. The first frame 3 is an open frame so that the second frame 4, which is somewhat smaller in comparison, can be inserted vertically into the first frame 3 from above, as shown in

[0065] FIG. 1. A first frame-shaped bending structure 5 is provided on the first frame 3 and is explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2. This bending structure 5 is arranged on a framework structure 6, on which there is also a height-adjustable framework section 7 on which is also provided a stop which comprises two stop elements 8 and acts as a stop for limiting the inserted end position of the second frame 4. Furthermore, a matrix-shaped forming element 9 is attached to a carrier 10 on the framework section 7, this carrier 10 can be moved along the framework section 7 and positioned as required. The matrix-shaped forming element 9 can also be displaced along the carrier 10.

[0066] The second frame 4 also comprises a framework structure 11, on which a second frame-shaped bending structure 12 is provided, which is also described in detail below in relation to FIG. 3. A patrix-shaped forming element 13 is arranged on the framework structure 11 by means of a carrier 14, wherein the carrier 14 can also be displaced here along the framework structure 11. The patrix-shaped forming element 11 is vertically movable by means of an adjusting element 15, wherein the adjusting element 15 is arranged to be displaceable in a suitable manner along the carrier 14. In a similar manner to the matrix-shaped forming element 9, the patrix-shaped forming element 13 can therefore also be displaced longitudinally and transversely. The two forming elements 9, 13 work together to form a drain geometry, which will be described below.

[0067] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the first frame 3. The rectangular framework structure 6 is shown, on which the framework section 7 is arranged so as to be height-adjustable in a suitable manner, as shown by the arrow P1. Also shown are the two stop elements 8, which are arranged in the area of the frame ends.

[0068] The first bending structure 5 is also shown. This first bending structure 5 is used to form an edge section of the sanitary object. It comprises a first outer frame-shaped structural section 16, which is formed by four narrow, strip-shaped flat struts 17, which are connected to form a frame or rectangular shape. Inside the first structural section 16 is a second frame-shaped structural section 18, which also consists of four strip-shaped struts 19, which are also connected to form a rectangular shape, but have rounded corners. An edge geometry is produced by means of the two structural sections 16, 18 and comprises an outer, short and vertically downwardly bent edge section, followed by an essentially horizontal edge section, which then merges into the tub area. The two structural sections 16, 18 can lie in the same plane with their preferably rounded upper edges. As a result, the upper edge section produced extends horizontally, since the plastic sheet to be formed rests on both upper sides or upper edges of the structural sections 16, 18 in the unformed state. Alternatively, the inner structural section 18 can also be slightly deeper than the outer structural section 16, which results in the formed edge section running at a slight angle to the inside of the tub, since the plastic sheet first runs against the inner second structural section 18 when the second frame is inserted, only after this is the plastic sheet formed further to form the tub walls.

[0069] Also shown is the quasi-cup-shaped matrix-shaped forming element 9, which has a frustoconical forming surface 20. It is displaceably arranged on the carrier 10 shown by the arrow P2, wherein the carrier 10 can be displaced along the framework section 7 as shown by the arrow P3.

[0070] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the second frame 4. Its framework structure 11, which is also rectangular in shape, is shown. It comprises an upper section 21, from which multiple struts 22 run vertically downwards. The second bending structure 12 is arranged at the lower end of the struts 22 and is also formed from four struts 23 which are connected to form a rectangular shape, which merge into one another by means of corresponding bends 24 in the corner areas. While, as described, the structural sections 16, 18 of the first bending structure 5 are formed by flat, strip-shaped struts, the struts 23 of the second bending structure 12 are formed by struts which are preferably round in cross-section, possibly also oval, but can also be tubular.

[0071] Also shown is the patrix-shaped forming element 13 as well as the adjusting means 15 and the carrier 14, which is arranged to be longitudinally displaceable at the upper section 21 (see arrow P4), whereas the adjusting means 15 together with the forming element 13 can be moved along the carrier 14 as described (see arrow P5). The forming element 13 is designed like a truncated cone and has a corresponding conical cone surface 25, corresponding to the conical surface 20 of the forming element 9. They therefore fit one inside the other in a form-compatible manner, so that the drain geometry can be formed using this.

[0072] As described, and as FIG. 1 also shows, the first frame 3 is open at the top; it is only bounded laterally by the first bending structure 5. This makes it possible for the second frame 4 to be inserted into the first frame 3 from above with the second bending structure leading and for it to be brought into a forming end position, which is limited by the stop elements 8. A side view of the forming device 1 from FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 4, wherein the second frame 4 is also in the forming end position.

[0073] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged partial view of the area of the two forming elements 9 and 13. The patrix-shaped forming element 13 can be moved vertically by means of the adjusting element 15, as shown by the arrow P6, so that it can be inserted into the matrix-shaped forming element 9.

[0074] FIG. 6 shows the forming device 1 according to the invention, with which a plastic sheet 26 has been formed to form a sanitary object 27 in the form of a bathtub. At the start of the process, the second frame 4 is positioned above the first frame 3 so that the flat plastic sheet 26 can be placed on the bending structure 5 of the first frame 3. It is assumed that the two structural sections 16, 18 lie in the same plane, which results in the plastic sheet 1 resting on both upper edges of the rectangular structural sections 16, 18. In a next step, an edge section 28 of the plastic sheet 26 is angled vertically downwards and fixed in place with a fixing device 29. The fixing device 29 comprises four elongated clamping strips 30, which can be actuated pneumatically, for example hydraulically, and which clamp the angled edge section 28 against the outside of the first structural section 16. This fixes the plastic sheet 26, which as already mentioned is still unformed, in other words has a flat surface.

[0075] The second frame 4 is then moved against the plastic sheet 26 from above, which causes the leading second bending structure 12 to run against the upper side 31 of the plastic sheet 26. With further lowering, the plastic sheet 26 is taken along and stretched piece by piece, while forming the tub structure, so that on the one hand the corresponding tub walls 32 are formed, but also the bottom 33. The lowering movement continues until the forming end position is reached, in which the formed plastic sheet 26 is moved against the stop elements 8, wherein the stop elements 8, see FIG. 7, preferably extend exactly below the transversely extending struts 23 of the second bending structure 12. The plastic material is accommodated between the stop elements 8 and the struts 23. Instead of such stop elements 8, a stop can also be provided elsewhere, against which the second frame 4 runs, for example with its framework structure.

[0076] The sectional view according to FIG. 7 shows the corresponding shape very clearly. On the one hand, the clamping strips 30 are shown, which clamp the edge section 28 against the first structural section 16. Also shown is the horizontal edge section 34, which forms the upper edge of the tub. This edge section 34, which of course also runs around all four sides, merges into the corresponding side walls 32. The angle at which the side walls 32 are positioned relative to the upper edge section 34 and to the bottom 33 depends on the size and positioning of the second bending structure 12. This is because, as FIG. 7 shows, the second bending structure 12 takes the plastic material down with it, wherein the corresponding bends in the transition of the tub walls 32 to the bottom 33 are defined and formed by means of the second bending structure 12, in other words the struts 23, which are round in cross-section, and thus also the bending radius. It can be seen that, depending on where the struts 23 are positioned relative to the second structural section 18, around which the plastic material is bent in the transition from the upper edge section 34 to the tub walls 32, the angle of the tub walls 32 to the upper edge section 34 can be greater or smaller, as can the angle to the bottom 33. The closer a strut 23 is positioned to one of the struts 19, the steeper the tub wall 32 extends, and conversely.

[0077] FIGS. 6 and 7 also show the matrix-shaped first forming element 9 and the patrix-shaped second forming element 13, wherein, see the sectioned view according to FIG. 7, the patrix-shaped forming element 13 is inserted into the matrix-shaped forming element 9. A corresponding funnel-or cone-shaped drain geometry 35 is clearly formed by the formed plastic material, as already shown in FIG. 7.

[0078] After reaching the forming end position and inserting the forming element 13 into the forming element 9 to form the drain geometry 35, the arrangement remains in this position for a time until the heated plastic material has cooled down. The second frame 4 is then raised again and the forming element 13 is returned so that the formed plastic object can be removed from the first frame 3 after the fixing device 29 has been released.

[0079] FIG. 8 shows in the form of an enlarged partial view the region of the transition of a tub wall 32 to the bottom 33. The region of the bend is defined as described by means of the second bending structure 12, in other words by means of the struts 23 in the radius, but the angle which a tub wall 32 assumes to the bottom 33 is also set by means of this, as described. The second bending structure 12 engages on a visible side 36 of the plastic sheet 26, in other words the bend 37 formed is visible from the inside. This is different in the case of the first bending structure 5, which, as FIG. 7 shows, engages on the opposite bottom 38 of the plastic sheet, in other words the linear contact areas there are not visible.

[0080] In any case, for forming between the plastic sheet 26 on the one hand and the bending structures 5 and 12 on the other hand, only an approximate linear contact is given, which is defined solely by the contact surface or the angle of contact of the respective bending structure with the plastic sheet 26. All other surface areas of the plastic sheet 26 do not come into any contact with any part of the two frames 3, 4 during the forming process. Rather, all surface areas, in other words the surrounding edge section 34 as well as the tub walls 32 and the bottom 33, are formed or stretched virtually freely in the space.

[0081] FIG. 9 shows an enlarged partial view of the interaction of the matrix-shaped forming element 9 and the patrix-shaped forming element 13. The plastic sheet 26 is clearly accommodated between them, here of course already in the unformed state, so that the corresponding funnel-shaped drain geometry 35 is formed. This can then only be opened by removing the bottom section of the drain geometry 35.

[0082] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a further forming device 1 according to the invention, wherein the same reference symbols are used for the same components. The forming device 1 comprises a frame arrangement 2 having a first frame 3 and a second frame 4 that can be inserted into the open first frame 3 from above. As the sectional view according to FIG. 11 shows, the first frame 3 again comprises a first bending structure 5 with the two structural sections 16, 18, which is used to form the edge, wherein the fixing device 29 is also shown. Also shown is the matrix-shaped forming element 9, which is attached to the framework section 7 in the manner already described above for the first embodiment, and which is also longitudinally and transversely displaceable. Furthermore, the framework section 7 is vertically displaceable on the vertical framework structure 6 and is therefore height-adjustable. Furthermore, the stop elements 8 are arranged on the framework section 7.

[0083] The second frame 4 also comprises a framework structure 11, with the upper section 21, on which corresponding vertically extending struts 22 are again arranged, at the lower end of which the second bending structure 12, also frame-shaped, is arranged. As the sectional view according to FIG. 11 shows, this is again formed by cross-sectionally round struts 23, while the structural sections 16, 18 are formed by corresponding strip-shaped, narrow struts 17, 19.

[0084] The second frame 4 also comprises the second patrix-shaped forming element 13, which can be moved vertically by means of the adjusting element 15 and brought into operative connection with the forming element 9. The adjusting element 15 is again arranged on the carrier 14 and can be displaced along it, just as the carrier 14 can be displaced along the section 21.

[0085] It is clear in this case that the insertion depth is significantly less than in the embodiment shown in the previous figures, which are used to produce a deep bathtub. This is because a shower tray is significantly lower than a bathtub. FIGS. 12 and 13 show sectional views corresponding to FIG. 11, wherein the carrier plate 26 is shown here in the reshaped position. FIG. 12 shows the plastic sheet 26 which is fixed by the clamping device 29 after the second frame 4 has reached the forming position. The corresponding double-bent or angled edge geometry forming the upper edge section 34 can again be seen, as can the corresponding tub walls 32 and the bottom 33. The two forming elements 9 and 13 do not yet interact, in other words the drain geometry has not yet been formed. However, this is shown in FIG. 13, in which the patrix-shaped forming element 13 is lowered so that the plastic sheet 26 is deformed accordingly, while forming the drain geometry 35.

[0086] FIGS. 10-13 clearly show that by simply changing the height position of the stop elements 8 by displacing the framework section 7 vertically along the framework structure 6, it is possible to change the insertion depth and therefore also the depth of the shower tray produced. This is because the plastic sheet 26 is clamped at the top or edge, so this position is fixed. By changing the height of the stop elements 8, however, the depth of the inserting movement is changed accordingly, and therefore also the depth of the tub.

[0087] FIG. 14 shows a schematic representation of a further forming device 1, with the frame arrangement 2 as is comparably already known from FIG. 1. A first frame 3 and a second frame 4 that can be inserted into it are provided. The structure is identical to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. Only the second frame 4 is slightly longer, in other words the second bending structure 12 is slightly longer than in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1. This means that the angle of the front and rear tub wall 32 is slightly steeper. Likewise, the framework section 7 is positioned significantly higher, in other words the stop elements 8 are significantly higher and consequently only a reduced insertion depth is provided. The embodiment shown in FIG. 14 is used to produce an elongated, rectangular shower tray.

[0088] FIG. 15 shows the forming device 1 already known from FIG. 14, also in the forming end position, although the plastic sheet is not shown here either for reasons of clarity. In this case, the framework section 7 with the stop elements 8 is positioned even higher, so that the insertion depth of the second frame 4 into the first frame 3 is less than in the embodiment shown in FIG. 14. The shower tray that can be produced has an identical basic geometry, but is flatter than the shower tray that can be produced with the embodiment shown in FIG. 14.

[0089] As a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 14 shows, the frame arrangements 2 provided there are almost identical. Only the second frame 4 is slightly longer. It is conceivable that a bathtub and a shower tray could be designed with the same dimensions, apart from the depth. Only the angle at which the tub walls extend to the tub bottom can vary, depending on the length of the second frame 4. It is now conceivable that the length of the framework structure of the second frame 4 can be altered, in other words it can be made slightly shorter or longer. For example, the framework structure can be telescoped in the longitudinal direction. The second bending structure 12 is detachable and can therefore be easily replaced by another bending structure adapted to the selected length. This is because the bending structure 12 must not have any unevenness, as would be the case with a telescopic or plug-in design, but must be completely homogeneous in its external shape. In this way, the second frame 4 can be easily modified so that one and the same first frame 3 can be used to produce both a bathtub and a shower tray.

[0090] The bending structures 5, 12 are preferably formed from corresponding metal struts, which are appropriately machined on the surface so that the surfaces are as smooth and homogeneous as possible, which applies in particular to the second bending structure 12, which forms a bend on the visible side.

[0091] By virtue of the fact that there is only contact between the quasi-linear bending structures 5 and 12 and the plastic material, but not in the area of the corresponding surfaces, homogeneous forming with a defect-free surface or visible surface of the formed object is possible. In particular, the tub walls 32 and the bottom 33 have a homogeneous thickness over the surface, since they are evenly stretched during forming, since there is no contact with any part of the mold that impedes stretching.

[0092] After removing the formed object from the first frame 3, the bottom, which is not visible, can be back-injected with a reinforcing material, for example a plastic material reinforced with fibers such as glass fibers, which is used to stiffen it. However, it is not necessary to process the visible surface in any case, as it is not negatively affected by either the forming process or the application of the reinforcing material.

[0093] 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.