GB2310599A

GB2310599A - Protecting mirrors against water

Info

Publication number: GB2310599A
Application number: GB9703991A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ulrich Fleischer
Original assignee: Flabeg GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Flabeg GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1996-03-01
Filing date: 1997-02-26
Publication date: 1997-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 2017-02-26
Also published as: GB2310599B; GB9703991D0; DE19609393C1

Abstract

A wall-mounted mirror 1 bears an electrical load, eg lights 7, on the front surface and has electrical devices 6 such as a transformer accommodated in an area 8 between the mirror and the wall. A flexible support strip 9, eg of foamed plastic, is attached to the rear 3 of the mirror and seals against the wall to protect the area 8 against water ingress. The strip surrounds the top 10 and sides 11,12 but is open at the bottom for ventilation.

Description

2310599 TITLE:

Laminar Objects DESCRIPTION:

llie Invention relates to laminar objects for fastening to a wall, and in particular to laminar objects which have electrical loads mounted thereon, such as. for example, electrically illuminated mirrors.

Mirrors are frequently installed in sanitary locations, such as bathrooms and changing rooms. 71ese mirrors are often combined with lights, usually fitted on the front, facing surface. Electrical devices, through which power is supplied to the lights, are commonly accommodated between the mirror and the wall; they need not necessarily be fastened to the back of the mirror, but may be attached directly to the wall.

It is well known that the co-existence of an electrical supply and water in close proxirrdty gives rise to a potential hazard, and that electrical installations in sanitary locations must adhere to strict official Standards. For instance, in Germany, electrical wiring systems used in sanitary locations or in other damp locations must comply with the legally defined IP Degrees of Protection according to DIN 40 050. llese are the requirements for electrical equipment regarding protection against electric shock, protection against ingress of solid foreign bodies and protection against the ingress of water. Tlis invention is the concerned primarily with protection against the ingress of water.

Tle object of the invention is to provide a laminar object, suitable for use in sanitary locations, which fulfills the water ingress protection requirements by virtue of its simplicity of design. The aim is for any electrical devices accommodated between the object and the wall not to require any specialist adaptation for protection against the ingress of water. Ibis will significantly simplify the work of whoever fits the object on the wall. In this regard, particular account is taken of the fact that mirrors, being one example of a larninar object, are frequently installed on a DIY basis by technical laymen who are not generally acquainted with the particular requirements of the applicable Standards.

Re invention provides a larninar object for fastening to a wall, having En electrical load mounted on a surface which in use is intended to be the front and a support strip attached to the opposite, back surface, wherein, in the fastened position, the support strip is adjacent the top and 2 at least part of the side edges and makes a sealing contact with the wall, thereby to protect any electrical devices located between the back surface and the wall from water ingress, and there is an opening between the bottom edge and the wall.

According to the invention, the aforementioned problems are solved by means of the support strip which is so fitted and arranged as to prevent falling water ingress and to ensure free access of air for ventilation from the bottom.

71e support strip may be water repellant and compressible. Preferably, the support strip is of a closed-pore material, in particular a foamed plastic. Ite inherent elasticity is usefuRy of such a nature that a high degree of compressibility is ensured without sacrificing elasticity. Thus, during fitting of the mirror, the support strip adjusts automatically to varying distances between the mirror and the wall and to irregularities of the wall, without sacrificing automatic elastic contact pressure on the wall.

Ile support strip may be a beaded strip.

The bottom ventilation access is preferably large to maximize the ventilation effect. For this reason, attaching the support strip at a short distance from the top and side edges is of particular advantage.

It is also advantageous for the support strip to be of single-piece design, in order to prevent joints leading to undesirable leaks. The desired high level of elasticity can also be ensured by a special crosssectional shape, such as, for example, having a cavity, decreasing in width with increasing distance from the back surface, being substantially round or substantially rectangular in cross-section.

The support strip is usefully adhered on to the back of the mirror. Of special advantage is the use of a support strip with self-adhesive backing, as is known for example in the case of sealing strips for windows, doors or the like. The use of such support strips takes significant account of the fact that mirrors are supplied in widely varying shapes and sizes. Ibis is in keeping with the diversity of design desired by the market. Here, where differing shapes and sizes are involved, there is no need for costly adaptation of the support strip to suit the mirror size or its shape. Tle support strip can be obtained as metre material in any lengths or included with the object packaging for DIY applications.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

3 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the back of a mirror according to the invention with a support strip applied to it, Figure 2 is a partial crosssectional view taken along the line H-11 in Figure 1 or detail H in figure 4 with a total of eight variants of cross-sectional shapes of the support strip; Figure 3 is a plan view of the front of the mirror fixed to a fastening or building wall; Figure 4 is a cross-section view taken along the line IV-IV in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a further six cross-sectional shapes of the support strip analogous to Figure 2.

With reference to figure 1, a mirror 1 according to the invention has a front surface 2 and a back surface 3. The back surface 3 possesses a reflective coating (not shown) and a protective layer covering it (not shown).

With reference also to figures 3 and 4, no special means of wall fastening for the mirror 1 are illustrated; all customary forms of fastening are possible. Electric leads for the electrical components are not shown either.

A light 7 is mounted on the front surface 2 of the mirror 1. With the mirror 1 is fastened to a surface 4 of a wall 5, electrical devices 6, for example a transformer, a ballast andlor a distributor, through which power is supplied to the light 7, are accommodated in an area 8 between mirror 1 and wall 5. The electrical devices 6 may, for instance, be on the back surface 3 or on the wall surface 4.

For effective protection of the accommodation area 8 against ingress of falling water, there is a water-repellent, elastically compressible support strip 9 between the back surface 3 and the wall surface 4. The support strip 9 is attached to the back surface 3 and makes a sealing contact with the wall surface 4. The support strip 9 effectively defines the accommodation area 8 of the electrical devices 6 or, even better, almost delimits the entire interspace between mirror 1 and wall 5 in the manner of a hood at the top mirror edge 10 and at the mirror sides 11, 12, but leaving this accommodation area 8 open at the bottom mirror edge 13.

The support strip 9 consists of a closed-pore material, in particular of a foamed plastic with water-repellent surface. The support strip is attached to the back surface 3 slightly spaced, a short distance from the edges 10 - 12 of the mirror 1 in the interest of maximising the dimensions of the accommodation area 8 and maximising potential air circulation through the air access opening at the bottom edge 13.

4 To ensure adequate elasticity of shape, the support strip 9 can also possess a cavity; it may, for example, be of tubular shape, as is illustrated inter alia in Figures 2 and 5. The width 14 of the support strip 9 may decrease with increasing distance from the back surface 3. This permits utilization of the support strip 9, even with wide variation in the distance between the mirror 1 and wall 5, without impairing the sealing action. This distance is usefully chosen such that a certain compression of the support strip 9 takes place all-round, in order to ensure durable sealing of the accommodation area 8 against falling water. For this purpose, the height 15 of the support strip must be greater than the maximum distance to be bridged between mirror 1 and wall 5.

Preferably, the support strip 9 is adhered to the back surface 3. This will involve in particular a support strip 9 which is prefabricated with a self-adhesive coating 16, spch that its application to the back surface 3 can also take place only on the spot during fitting. This also ensures optimum adaptability to local conditions of the electrical devices 6.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A lan-finar object for fastening to a wall, having an electrical load mounted on a surface which in use is intended to be the front and a support strip attached to the opposite, back surface, wherein, in the fastened position, the support strip is adjacent the top and at least part of the side edges and makes a sealing contact with the wall, thereby to protect any electrical devices located between the back surface and the wall from water ingress, and there is an opening between the bottom edge and the wall.

2. A laminar object according to claim 1 wherein the support strip is water repplIant and compressible.

A lan-linar object according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the support strip is of a closedpore material, in particular of foamed plastic.

A laminar object according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the support strip is a beaded strip.

5. A laminar object according to any preceding claim wherein the support strip is attached at a short distance from the top and the side edges.

6. A laminar object according to any preceding claim wherein the support strip comprises a single piece.

A laminar object according to any preceding claim wherein the support strip has a cavity.

8. A laminar object according to any preceding claim wherein the width of the support strip decreases with increasing distance from the back surface.

9. A laminar object according to any preceding claim wherein the support strip is substantially round when viewed in cross-section.

6 10. A lan-iinar object according to any of claims 1 to 8 wherein the support strip is substantially rectangular when viewed in cross-section.

A laminar object according to any preceding claim wherein the support strip is attached to the back surface with adhesive.

12.

A support strip as used in a laminar object according to any preceding claim which is provided with a self-adhesive coating.

13. A laminar object according to any preceding claim which is a mirror having a light mounted on the front surface and at least one of a transformer, a ballast and/or a distributor mounted on the back surface.

14. A laminar object substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 to 5 of the drawings.