Abstract:
A multi-layered basin including an interior layer with at least one sidewall enclosing an area for retaining a liquid. The sidewall has an external surface for contacting the liquid and an underlying surface. A liner is attached to the underlying surface to cover at least a portion of the underlying surface. The liner is vacuum formed against the underlying surface such that the liner at least partially conforms to the shape of the underlying surface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/421,875, filed Dec. 10, 2010, the complete content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Certain basins, such as stainless steel sinks, are typically formed of a single layer of stainless steel. The steel must have a thickness sufficient to avoid deformation and survive the wear and tear experienced in an environment such as a kitchen, and the thickness of the steel can affect the cost to manufacture such basins. In addition, certain efforts have been made to attach materials to the back side surfaces of sinks to reduce noise. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The invention provides a multi-layered basin including an interior layer with at least one sidewall enclosing an area for retaining a liquid. The sidewall has an external surface for contacting the liquid and an underlying surface. A liner is attached to the underlying surface to cover at least a portion of the underlying surface. The liner is vacuum formed against the underlying surface such that the liner at least partially conforms to the shape of the underlying surface. 
         [0004]    The invention also provides a multi-layered basin including an interior layer having at least one sidewall enclosing an area for retaining a liquid. The sidewall has an external surface for contacting the liquid and an underlying surface. A liner is attached to the underlying surface to cover at least a portion of the underlying surface. An intermediary material is disposed between the interior layer and the liner such that the intermediary material is at least partially surrounded by the interior layer and the liner. 
         [0005]    The invention further provides a method of forming a multi-layered basin. An interior layer is provided having at least one sidewall enclosing an area for retaining a liquid. The sidewall has an external surface for contacting the liquid and an underlying surface. A liner is disposed adjacent to the underlying surface. The liner is vacuum formed to attach the liner to the underlying surface and cover at least a portion of the underlying surface such that the liner at least partially conforms to the shape of the underlying surface. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a basin with a vacuum formed liner; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the basin of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the basin of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing another embodiment of the basin of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing another embodiment of the basin of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing another embodiment of the basin of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the basin of  FIG. 1  showing an untrimmed vacuum formed liner; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the basin of  FIG. 1  showing an untrimmed vacuum formed liner. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Turning to the figures, wherein like reference numerals represent like features,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show a basin  100  with a vacuum formed liner. For illustration, the basin  100  is represented in the drawings as a sink. It will, however, be appreciated that the basin  100  could be any suitable structure for containing a liquid. The basin  100  can have a rim  102 , one or more sidewalls  104 , a base  106 , and a drain  108 . The one or more sidewalls  104  can extend between the base  106  and the rim  104 . As shown, the basin  100  can be attached to a support structure  110  such as a counter, and the basin  100  can be mounted above or below the support structure  110 . For example, an opening can be formed in the support structure  110  such that an above-mount basin can be dropped into the opening, or an under-mount basin can be attached to the underside of the support structure such that the opening in the support structure is disposed above the basin. In other embodiments, the basin could be formed as an integral part of the counter. It will be appreciated that the basin can be any suitable shape and size. 
         [0015]    The basin  100  may have a composite structure of two or more layers. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the basin  100  can have an interior layer  112  with a surface  114  exposed to the user and an underlying surface  116  attached to a backing layer that forms a liner  118 . In the illustrated embodiment, the interior layer  112  forms the rim  102 , the one or more sidewalls  104 , and the base  106 . The liner  118  can fully or partially cover the underlying surface  116 . As shown, the basin  100  may be an above-mount basin and the liner  118  can extend over a support surface  110 , such as a counter, to provide support to the rim  102 . In other embodiments, the liner  118  can be trimmed or provided in a size such that it terminates before reaching the rim  102 . The liner  118  can provide sufficient support and strength to the interior layer  112  such that the interior layer  112  can be manufactured with a reduced thickness than would be typically used for a single layer basin structure manufactured with the same or similar material. Accordingly, the multi-layer structure can be produced with sufficient strength but at a lower cost than a single layer basin. In addition, the combination of the liner  118  and interior layer  112  can be lighter than a single layer basin, which can make installation easier and reduce shipping costs. The liner can also provide advantages such as thermal insulation, chemical damage resistance, and/or sound deadening properties to the basin. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , another embodiment of a basin  200  is shown. In this embodiment, an intermediary material  220  may be disposed between the interior layer  212  and the liner  218  during the vacuum forming process to at least partially surround the intermediary material  220  with the interior layer  212  and the liner  218 . The intermediary material  220  may have any suitable geometry such that it can be disposed between the interior layer  212  and the liner  218 . In addition, the intermediary material  220  may be disposed in any suitable location between the interior layer  212  and the liner  218 . The intermediary material  220  may be any suitable material, and may, for example, provide additional strength, thermal insulation, support, and/or sound deadening to the basin  200 . Examples of some intermediary materials  220  that may be disposed between the interior layer  212  and the liner  218  include screens, fibers, cloths, re-bar, sheet metal, plates, expanded metal structures, fiber board, wood, plywood, particle board, wood composite, foam board, foam, insulation such as glass spheres, cork, mineral, mineral board, mineral wool, etc. As another example, the intermediary material  220  can include a securement mechanism (sometimes referred to as a hold-down system), such as a clip, rail, channel, or other suitable mechanism, for securing the basin  200  to a support structure. As further examples, the intermediary material  220  can be items such as wires, cables, hoses, valves, filters, gauges, optics, lights, magnets, controls, digital displays, monitors, and/or sensors that can be disposed between the interior layer  212  and the liner  218 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 5  shows a further embodiment of a basin  300 . In this embodiment, a gap  322  may be provided between the interior layer  312  and the liner  318 . The gap  322  can have any suitable shape and size and can provide a conduit for transporting liquids or gases. For example, the interior layer  312  can have an opening  324  to prevent liquid overflow within the basin  300 . When a liquid reaches the level of the opening  324 , the liquid will exit from the interior of the basin  300  by way of the opening  324 . When the fluid enters the opening  324 , it can then pass into the gap  322  which may be formed to provide a conduit for the liquid to pass to the drain. Alternately, a gap  322  may be provided that stores and/or delivers liquids or gases, such as cleaners, cleansers, disinfectants, and fragrances, to the user side of the basin  300 . Furthermore, one or more gaps  322  may be formed to contain, upon assembly, some of the items mentioned above that can be disposed between the interior layer  312  and the liner  318 , e.g., wires, cables, hoses, valves, filters, gauges, optics, lights, magnets, controls, digital displays, monitors, sensors, etc. 
         [0018]    As mentioned above and shown in  FIG. 6 , the rim  402  of the basin  400  may be disposed below a support structure  410 , such as a counter, in an under-mount arrangement. As previously discussed, the liner  418  may cover all or part of the underlying surface  416  of the interior layer  412 . In addition, the liner  418  can extend beyond the periphery of the basin  400 . For example, the liner  400  can be sized to extend beyond the rim  402  of the basin  400  and can attach to a bottom surface  426  of the support structure  410 . In further embodiments, the liner  418  could extend beyond the rim  402  and become the support surface. 
         [0019]      FIGS. 7 and 8  show an embodiment of the basin  500  following the vacuum forming process. The liner  518  can be vacuum formed using known vacuum forming techniques to mold the liner  518  to the interior layer  512 . The interior layer  512  can be trimmed prior to or after vacuum forming the liner  518  to the interior layer  512 . Likewise, holes, such as for the drain, can be cut into the interior layer  512  prior to or after vacuum forming the liner  518  to the interior layer  512 . The liner  518  can be provided as a preform that fits over the interior layer  512  or as a sheet. As shown, the liner  518  can be oversized so as to conform over the entire underlying surface of the basin  500  during the vacuum forming process. The liner  518  can be preheated before vacuum forming. A frame or drop down bars may be used to secure the edges of the sheet during preheating and forming in order to minimize the sheet size and the amount of excess liner. Once the vacuum forming process is completed, the liner  500  can be trimmed to remove any excess liner  528  extending from the rim  502  or any other undesired portions of the liner  518 . In addition, the portion of the liner  518  covering the drain opening at  530  can also be removed. The liner  518  can be secured to the interior layer  512  with an adhesive. A single or multi-component adhesive, glue or epoxy may either be applied onto the liner  518 , onto the interior layer  512 , or onto both the liner  518  and the interior layer  512  prior to adhesion. A heat activated adhesive may be used to control curing time and/or increase the bond strength between the liner  518  and the interior layer  512 . 
         [0020]    As mentioned above, one or more materials can be disposed between the interior layer and the liner during the vacuum molding process. Similarly, gaps between the interior layer and the liner can be formed during the vacuum molding process. The vacuum molding process provides the ability to manufacture a basin with a liner as described in the embodiments above and can be done relatively inexpensively compared to other molding processes that require the use of an expensive mold. 
         [0021]    It will be appreciated that the interior layer and the liner may be formed with any suitable material. For example, the interior layer may be constructed of a metal (such as stainless steel, a copper alloy, or a copper-nickel alloy) or glass. In addition, the interior layer can have anti-bacterial properties. 
         [0022]    The liner may be constructed of a plastic, fiberglass, or polymeric sheet. The material used for the liner may contain reinforcing whiskers, fibers, wires, cloth, screens, or other suitable materials. It will be appreciated that more than one liner may be provided. 
         [0023]    The vacuum formed liner may be attached to any suitable basin such as a kitchen sink, a sink and counter combination, a lavatory sink, a scrub sink, a surgeon&#39;s sink, a laundry sink, a urinal, etc. Furthermore, the vacuum formed liner may be attached to a counter, vanity, scullery, etc. 
         [0024]    It will be appreciated that, when suitable, more than one of the embodiments described above can be combined and used with a single multilayer basin. 
         [0025]    All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. 
         [0026]    The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
         [0027]    Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventor for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventor intends for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.