AU2011202220A1 - A basin - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A Basin A basin (10) including a bowl depression (12), a drain opening (26) and a grate (28). The bowl depression (12) has, in use, a substantially upstanding wall surface (14). The drain 5 opening (26) is in the wall surface (14) and is adapted for connection to a trap (30). The grate (28) is adapted for releasable engagement with the wall surface (14), within the drain opening (26). In use, the lowermost region of the drain opening (26) is at approximately the same height as, or lower than, the lowermost region of the bowl depression (12). The drain opening (26) is adapted to allow all contents in the bowl depression (12) to drain through the drain opening (26) under the influence of gravity. 26a 30 12a 32

Description

S&F Ref: 992568 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address Caroma Industries Limited, of Applicant: an Australian company, ACN 000 189 499, of 10 Market Street, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Stephen John Cummings Johann Karunaratne Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: A basin Associated Provisional Application Details: [33] Country: [31] Appl'n No(s): [32] Application Date: AU 2010902361 28 May2010 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5845c(4525149_1) 1 A BASIN Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a basin. The invention has been primarily developed for use in potentially infectious 5 environments and will be described hereinafter with reference to that application. However, the invention is not limited to that particular application and is also suitable for use in domestic and commercial applications including hospitals, nursing homes and other environments where infection control is important. Background of the Invention to Basins are generally constructed with a bowl depression and a horizontal opening in the lowermost region of the bowl depression through which the contents of the basin can drain. The opening is normally partially occluded by a grate to stop objects above a predetermined size from inadvertently passing through the opening, whilst still allowing liquid and smaller objects to pass through the opening. A water spout is usually is positioned above the opening. A trap, such as U-bend, is usually connected to the opening to allow the contents of the basin to be communicated to a sewer and also to prevent noxious or unpleasant gases from travelling from the sewer to the basin. Such known basin and U-bend traps can be problematic when used in potentially infectious environments. This is because infectious material from a user of the basin may 20 be present in the water retained in the U-bend trap. This infectious material can then be splashed onto a subsequent user when water from the spout passes through the opening and the grate and impacts on the water retained in the U-bend trap. As a result, a person using the basin (eg. to wash their hands) may come into contact with infectious material from a previous user of the basin. 25 Object of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate the above disadvantage. Summary of the Invention Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a basin including: 30 a bowl depression with, in use, a substantially upstanding wall surface; a drain opening in the wall surface adapted for connection to a trap; and 2 a grate adapted for releasable engagement with the wall surface, within the opening, wherein, in use, the lowermost region of the drain opening is at approximately the same height as, or lower than, the lowermost region of the bowl depression. 5 The drain opening is adapted to allow all contents in the bowl depression to drain through the opening under the influence of gravity. The wall surface is preferably on the rear side of the bowl depression. The bowl depression preferably includes a bowl surface, preferably curved from the front side of the bowl depression towards the wall surface. to The opening is preferably oval or obround, with its longer axis substantially horizontal in use. The grate preferably includes a surface that is approximately parallel to the wall surface. The exterior periphery of the grate is preferably spaced apart from the interior periphery of the opening by a peripheral gap. The grate is preferably manually snap is engageable with the wall surface. The grate is preferably tool releasable from the wall surface, and thereby vandal resistant. The grate preferably includes 3 resilient feet adapted for snap engagement with the basin. In use, the 3 feet are respectively positioned with 1 foot at or near the upper centre of the grate and 1 foot at or near each of the outer lower corners of the grate. 20 The opening is preferably substantially vertical, in use. More preferably, the opening is angled at about 10 degrees to vertical. In a second aspect, the present invention provides a basin including: a bowl depression; a, in use, substantially vertical drain opening in the bowl depression adapted for 25 connection to a trap; and a grate adapted for releasable engagement with the drain opening, within the opening, wherein, in use, the lowermost region of the drain opening is at approximately the same height as, or lower than, the lowermost region of the bowl depression. 30 The drain opening is adapted to allow all contents in the bowl depression to drain through the opening under the influence of gravity.

3 The opening is preferably angled at about 10 degrees to vertical. In a third aspect, the present invention provides a basin including: a bowl depression with, in use, a substantially upstanding wall surface; a drain opening in the wall surface adapted for connection to a trap; 5 a grate adapted for releasable engagement with the wall surface, within the opening, wherein the drain opening is positioned within the wall surface to allow all contents in the bowl depression to drain through the drain opening under the influence of gravity. 10 In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a basin including: a bowl depression; a, in use, substantially vertical drain opening in the bowl depression adapted for connection to a trap; and a grate adapted for releasable engagement with the drain opening, within the is opening, wherein the drain opening is postioned within the bowl depression to allow all contents in the bowl depression to drain through the drain opening under the influence of gravity. In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a basin assembly including: 20 a basin according to any one of the above aspects; and a trap connected to the drain opening of the basin. The trap is preferably a U-bend. Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of an 25 example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of a basin; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the basin shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of the basin shown in Fig. 1, after fitting of the grate; and 30 Fig. 4 is a partial enlarged detailed cross-sectional side view of the basin shown in Fig. 1, before fitting of the grate.

4 Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Fig. I shows an embodiment of a ceramic basin 10. The basin 10 includes a bowl depression 12 formed from a rearward upstanding, substantially vertical, wall surface 14 and a frontward curved bowl surface 16. 5 The basin 10 also includes a rearward shelf part 18 which extends to a fixing ledge 20. The fixing ledge 20 is adapted for connection to a fixing bracket (not shown) mounted on a wall, as will be well understood by a person skilled in the art. The front of the basin 10 includes a forward facing outer wall 22 and a rearward facing inner rim 24. 10 The basin 10 includes an upstanding, substantially vertical, opening 26 which is generally obruond or oval in shape. As best shown in Fig. 2, the opening 26, and the upstanding wall 14, are angled at approximately 100 from vertical. The lowermost region 12a of the bowl depression 12 is approximately at the same height as, and not lower than, the lowermost region or edge 26a of the opening 26. is This allows all of the contents in the bowl depression 12 to drain through the opening 26 under the influence of gravity. A plastic grate 28, with a stainless steel face plate, is positioned within the opening 26 with the outer periphery of the grate 28 spaced apart from the inner periphery of the opening 26. This spacing leaves a peripheral gap 29 around the grate 26 that is 20 approximately 3mm wide. The gap 29 is selected to be big enough to allow water, other fluids and smaller objects to drain from the bowl depression 12 but small enough to stop larger foreign objects (for example rings) from inadvertently passing through the opening 26. The opening 26 is connected to a U-bend trap 30 which, in use, is filled with a 25 volume of water 32. In the embodiment shown, the trap 30 is integrally formed as part of the basin 10. In another embodiment (not shown), the trap is formed of a separate component which is attached to the remainder of the basin. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the grate 26 includes one (upper) leg 34 located in the upper centre of the grate 26 and two (lower) legs 36 located near the lower corners 30 of the grate 28. The legs 34 and 36 each terminate with recesses 38 and barbs 40. The basin 10 includes an inwardly directed peripheral lip 42 between the opening 26 and the 5 trap 30. The grate 28 can be easily installed by simply pushing the grate 28 through the opening 26 towards the trap 30. This causes the legs 34 and 36 to inwardly flex towards one another as the barbs 40 ride over the lip 42 and thereafter resiliently spring back to the position shown in Fig. 3 with the recesses 38 snap-engaged with the lip 42. To 5 remove the grate 28 from engagement with the basin 10, a tool (not shown) is inserted into the gap 29 in order to flex the legs 34 and 36 inwardly and bring the recesses 38 out of engagement with the lip 42, whereafter the grate 28 can be removed from the basin 10. As a specific tool is required to remove the grate 28, it is advantageously considered to be vandal resistant and therefore suitable for use in publicly accessible applications. 10 The main advantage provided by the basin 10 is that any water or other material entering the bowl depression 12 does not come into direct splashing contact with the water 32 present in trap 30. This separation advantageously reduces the risk of any infectious material contained with the water 32 from a previous user from being communicated to a subsequent user. 15 Further, the arrangement of the legs 34 and 36 results in the grate 28 being automatically self centred within the opening 26 to ensure the peripheral gap 29 is created for draining water and other materials. In addition, the absence of feet adjacent the lowermost edge 26a of the opening 26 advantageously reduces the build up of grime and capture of objects (e.g. hair) which could cause blockages of the opening 26 or the gap 20 29. Although the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. For example, the basin can be used with a remote trap.

Claims (21)

1. A basin including: a bowl depression with, in use, a substantially upstanding wall surface; a drain opening in the wall surface adapted for connection to a trap; and s a grate adapted for releasable engagement with the wall surface, within the opening, wherein, in use, the lowermost region of the drain opening is at approximately the same height as, or lower than, the lowermost region of the bowl depression.

2. The basin as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drain opening is adapted to allow all 10 contents in the bowl depression to drain through the opening under the influence of gravity.

3. The basin as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the wall surface is on the rear side of the bowl depression.

4. The basin as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the bowl depression includes a bowl 15 surface.

5. The basin as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bowl surface is curved from the front side of the bowl depression towards the wall surface.

6. The basin as claimed in claim any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening is oval or obround, with its longer axis substantially horizontal in use. 20

7. The basin as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the grate includes a surface that is approximately parallel to the wall surface.

8. The basin as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein an exterior periphery of the grate is spaced apart from the interior periphery of the drain opening by a peripheral gap. 25

9. The basin as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the grate is manually snap-engageable with the wall surface.

10. The basin as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the grate is tool releasable from the wall surface.

11. The basin as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the grate includes 3 resilient feet 30 adapted for snap engagement with the basin. 7

12. The basin as claimed in claim 11, wherein, in use, the 3 feet are respectively positioned with 1 foot at or near the upper centre of the grate and 1 foot at or near each of the outer lower corners of the grate.

13. The basin as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening is 5 substantially vertical, in use.

14. The basin as claimed in any one of claims I to 12, wherein the opening is angled at about 10 degrees to vertical.

15. A basin including: a bowl depression; 10 a, in use, substantially vertical drain opening in the bowl depression adapted for connection to a trap; and a grate adapted for releasable engagement with the drain opening, within the opening, wherein, in use, the lowermost region of the drain opening is at approximately is the same height as, or lower than, the lowermost region of the bowl depression.

16. The basin as claimed in claim 15, wherein the drain opening is adapted to allow all contents in the bowl depression to drain through the opening under the influence of gravity.

17. The basin as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the opening is angled at about 10 20 degrees to vertical.

18. A basin including: a bowl depression with, in use, a substantially upstanding wall surface; a drain opening in the wall surface adapted for connection to a trap; a grate adapted for releasable engagement with the wall surface, within the drain 25 opening, wherein the drain opening is positioned within the wall surface to allow all contents in the bowl depression to drain through the opening under the influence of gravity. 8

19. A basin including: a bowl depression; a, in use, substantially vertical drain opening in the bowl depression adapted for connection to a trap; and s a grate adapted for releasable engagement with the drain opening, within the opening, wherein the drain opening is postioned within the bowl depression to allow all contents in the bowl depression to drain through the opening under the influence of gravity. 10

20. A basin assembly including: a basin according to any one of claims I to 19; and a trap connected to the drain opening of the basin.

21. The basin as claimed in claim 20, wherein the trap is a U-bend. Dated 28 March, 2011 Caroma Industries Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON