INSTALLATION UNIT FOR WET ROOMS

Abstract: The invention relates to an installation unit which includes a duct (1) in which service installations can be mounted and housed in the vicinity of a wet room wall (2). The duct has a framework (4, 6) which can be adjusted smoothly, i.e. continuously, in relation to the wall and which includes adjustable attachment or fastener means for each type of installation, e.g. water and sanitary pipes, electric cables or telephone cables. The covering is comprised of cover elements (46, 46', 68) which are removably connectable to the duct framework and which can be joined together by means of jointing profiles (58, 60) to form ducts of different shapes and sizes, e.g. to provided horizontal, vertical, and angled ducts, and surface mounted ducts (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). One of the cover elements (68) has formed integrally therewith radiator-water circulation channels (70) which can be connected to supply valves (not shown) of a central heating system. Although not shown, a drying loop can be connected to channels (72) in the profiled element, by means of a valve pack connected to a hot water circulation system.

Description: INSTALLATION UNIT FOR WET ROOMS The present invention relates to an installation unit for wet or moist rooms of the kind defined in the preamble of the following Claim 1. Earlier, high costs have been incurred by water damage caused by leakages, particularly in connection with so-called wet rooms of multi-apartment buildings, mainly because conven- tional heating, water and sanitary installations are perma¬ nent installations and are incorporated in the framework of the building during its construction. Such conventional installations are not easily reached for inspection or repair purposes or to enable such installations to be easily replaced. As a result, small leakages, so-called hidden leakages, often go unnoticed until comprehensive water damage is caused. The risk of water damage also exists when drilling through newly sealed surfaces in conjunction with fitting pipe brackets and devices for the attachment of radiators, towel driers, washbasins, WC basins, bath and shower connections, and so on. Electrical, water and sanitary installations are normally placed in separate ducting or channelling in the framework of the building, which incurs higher costs than if a common duct or channel could be used. Installation units of the aforesaid kind are known to the art, e.g., from the inventor's own construction displayed at the Nordbygg, Alvsjδ, January 18, 1994 Exhibition and in two brochures entitled the Minischaktet ("Miniduct") and Minischaktet installing instructions, Primera AB, Box 5078, S-16511 Hasselby, Sweden. The duct, or channel, includes a framework which comprises two profiled posts and which can be mounted on a wall through the medium of spacer plates, said posts being mutually connected top and bottom by coupling plates. The duct framework carries hook-shaped connector means for the connection of duct cover elements. One of these cover elements can be removed for inspection purposes. SE-B 469083 teaches an arrangement in wet rooms that include connections for the installation of WC basins and washbasins. A module wall provides an attachment surface for china or porcelain elements and is provided with both element attach¬ ment holes and holes for accommodating pipes that connect therewith and pipes that connect with shower control devices and the like. The module wall is designed to enclose and obscure the pipes. WO 94/06975 teaches a prefabricated pipe cassette and discloses a method of mounting such a cassette on a bathroom wall for instance. The cassette has a self-supporting framework from which a wall-mounted lavatory basin is suspended. The framework is intended to be placed above the floor of the room, more specifically to be hung from the ceiling of said room by means of a ceiling-anchored attach¬ ment means, and thereafter secured in a position of abutment with the wall by means of a fastener device anchored in said wall. An arrangement for delivering and discharging water to and from a bathroom installed in a building that has at least two floors or stories is known to the art from WO 95/02736. The arrangement includes at least one clean water pipe and at least one waste water pipe for connection to a respective tap location and drainage location in the bathroom, and corre¬ sponding pipes which service other floors in the building. The pipes are housed in a box-like casing together with those branches from the water pipe and to the waste pipe respective required when coupling the bathroom units. Although these known arrangements will normally solve the problems mentioned in the introduction, there are still a number of problems that remain unsolved. For instance, a problem is encountered when using such arrangements on existing wet-room walls, which are often crooked, sloping and worn. Thus, such known arrangements do not include means which enable adjustments to be readily made for adaptation of the system to walls, floors and ceilings that have irregular surfaces, or for the adjustable attachment of covering or casing elements and of the pipes and conduits included in the arrangement. These pipes are normally fitted on the wall, and the imprecise positioning of the pipes in relation to the casing elements renders fitting and connec¬ tion between service pipes and external connection points difficult to achieve. Thus, the distance from the pipe centre to said outside will vary in accordance with the wall configuration, therewith requiring the connecting pipes to be bent or curved to correct dimensions at the site of each connection to be made. Neither are the known casings con- structed in a manner which will enable the position and extension of all of the pipes concerned to be readily defined, due to the fact that the casings are constructed with a predetermined shape which cannot be easily adapted to the prevailing conditions of a restructured object. Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an installation unit of the aforedefined kind which includes an arrangement of a few prefabricated, mutually combinable elements that make it possible to readily con- struct a number of installation unit variants that can be used to solve the majority of installation problems that may conceivably occur in conjunction with the construction of new systems and the restructuring of existing systems, therewith to provide both economical and practical advantages. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with an installation unit of the aforedefined kind having the characteristic features set forth in Claim 1. Advantageous improvements and developments of the invention are achievable with the features set forth in the following dependent Claims. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof and also with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which Fig. 1 illustrates in section an inventive duct, or channel, which is supported by profiled elements having adjustable wall attachments; Fig. 2 is a view similar to the view of Fig. 1 but shows alternative wall attachments; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a so-called angle duct provided with wall attachments; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a front profiled element; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a front profiled radiator element; Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a profiled element; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a straight jointing profile; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a corner profile; Fig. 9 illustrates part of a straight join between two front profiles in larger scale; Fig. 10 illustrates a waste pipe clasp provided with profiled element fastener means; Fig. 11 illustrates a clean water pipe clasp having profiled element fastener means; and Fig. 12 illustrates a variant of a clasp arrangement. Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of an installation unit of the aforesaid kind and shows ducting or channelling 1 that covers an opening in a wall 2. The ducting is con¬ structed around two profiled elements 4 and 6, which are mutually identical but have mirror image cross-sectional shapes. Each profiled element is anchored to the wall by means of a respective individual adjuster sleeve 8 and 10 provided with an external screw thread and screwed firmly into the wall. The sleeve 8 shown on the left of the Figure is screwed into the wall by means of a penetrating screw and abuts the wall through the medium of a force distributing sleeved foot 12. The sleeve 10 shown on the right of the Figure is anchored to the wall by means of a wall-mounted angle plate 14 in which the sleeve, in turn, is attached by means of a throughpassing bolt and nut 13. In a variant of the duct shown in Fig. 2 a flat plate 15 is used to anchor one side of the duct to the wall. Each sleeve 8, 10 has an hexagonal head 16 fixedly mounted thereon. Each profiled element 4, 6 includes grooves or channels 17 in which a slide plate 18 can be moved longitudinally. The slide plate 18 has an opening provided with an internal thread corresponding to the thread on the sleeve and into which the sleeve is screwed. Screwed into the slide plate 18 is a locking screw 20 which, when tightened, presses against a lock plate 22 joined to the slide plate, said lock plate 22 thus being pressed against the edges of the slot in the profiled element such as to lock the slide plate 18 in the grooves 17 in the profiled element. As best seen from Fig. 6, each profiled element has a profiled cross-section which includes angled projections and channels which delimit different parts and which are intended for the attachment of duct associated members. The profiled element thus has a first flange 24 and a second flange 26 which are joined by means of two mutually spaced and general- ly parallel webs, to wit a first web 28 and a second web 30. Each web includes slots 32 for accommodating at least one of the adjuster sleeves 8, 10. Each slot has an extension of about 300 mm longitudinally of the profiled element. That part of the second flange 26 which is connected to the webs 28, 30 is generally flat and, via a suitable radius in the order of 3.5-5.5 millimeters for instance, merges with a shoulder 34 which is angled outwards at about 45 degrees, and an attachment strip 36 angled inwardly at the foot of said shoulder. The other side of the flange 26 has an outwardly curved portion 38 which curves out at essentially right angles to the part of the flange that is connected to said webs and which, in turn, has an edge 40 which extends generally parallel with said flange part. Thus, there is defined in the second flange 26 a so-called hinge pocket 42, the function of which will be described further on. The arrangement also includes a coupling plate 44 which can be connected to each end of each profiled element 4; 6 . The coupling plate 44 may have an I-shape in the case of a duct according to Figs. 1 and 2, an L-shape for the angle duct according to Fig. 3, or a U-shape for a surface mounted duct (not shown). The duct 1 can be connected to the surroundings through the medium of one or more front profiles 46, 46' that have two different widths and which include mutually identi- cal but mirror-image jointing heads 48 on opposite edges of the front profile, said heads being lockably received in respective hinge pockets 42 of the profiled elements. Each jointing head has an external curvature 50 adapted to the shape of the shoulder 34, an aperture or recess 52 and a threaded opening 54 for receiving a conical screw 56. A straight joining or connecting profile 58 is inserted into the aperture 52 and firmly secured by means of the screw 56. The joint profile, and also a corner profile 60 intended for an angle duct, has connecting means 62 projecting out in opposite directions and mutually at right angles respectively and includes shoulders 64 having oblique flanks 66 (Figs. 1, 7, 8, 9). The flanks form an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the flat side of each connecting means 62, and the conical screw 56 has a frusto-conical shape whose cone angle is adapted to the oblique flanks 66 of the shoulders 64. The joint profile 58 in Fig. 1 is fitted as a hinge for engagement with the hinge pocket 42, but is configured to achieve tight joints between adjacent front profiles (see Figs. 2 and 3) as evident from Fig. 9. In the Fig. 3 embodi¬ ment, the corner profile 60 forms an external corner on the illustrated angle duct, the longer covering side of which is constructed of two broad front panels 46 which are mutually joined by a straight joining profile 58, while the corner profile 60 joins the long cover side to a narrow front profile 46' forming a short side. According to one particularly advantageous variant, the duct is constructed with an integrated radiator function and a directly connected towel drier. As illustrated in Fig. 3, this is made possible by replacing the front profile 46 with a radiator front profile 68 having a radiator section 70 formed integrally with the front profile, said front profile also having formed integrally therewith supply channels 72 for conducting hot tap water to a directly connected towel drier, not shown. Connection nipples 74 leading to the supply channels are anchored in the radiator front profile for connection with and for the support of said towel drier. Similarly, two connection nipples 76, of which only one is shown, are provided for connecting the radiator section to a radiator valve package, not shown. Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate pipe clasps for anchoring clean water and waste water pipes to the duct. A pipe clasp attachment 78 for a waste water pipe 80 has a clasp band 82 of conventional kind, said band being held tensioned around the pipe 80 by means of a clasp bolt 84. The clasp bolt is fastened in a bolt plate 86 which is movably arranged with a profiled member in a groove or channel which is delimited by the first flange 24 and the second flange 26 of the profile. The bolt plate 86 can be locked in selected posi¬ tions by means of a locking screw 88. Fig. 11 illustrates a pipe clasp attachment 90 for clean hot water and cold water pipes. This attachment includes a bolt plate 86' and a locking screw 88', similar to the clasp attachment 78. The bolt plate has fastened therein a so- called clasp strip or tongue 92 having longitudinally extending clasp grooves or slots 94 in which stepped clasp bands 97 can be tensioned and fastened around the pipe 96. One end of each stepped band 97 is inserted into a selected slot to a desired position therein, wherewith the band is rotated through 90 degrees and tensioned around the pipe without needing to remove its insulation. The stepped band is tensioned by means of a tensioning bolt 98 provided on the other end of the band and engaging with the edges of the clasp groove or slot 94. The described pipe clasp attachment enables pipes of diame- ters up to 70 mm to be firmly held at a fixed distance from the pipe centre to the outside of the duct. This facilitates the use of prefabricated pipe connectors 100 having a bending radius of 28 mm. When fitting a duct according to Fig. 1, the profiled elements 4 and 6 are first anchored to the wall 2 with the aid of the adjuster sleeves 8, 10. The through-penetrating screws are backed-off slightly and respective sleeves are rotated with the aid of its associated hexagonal head until the desired width is obtained between the profiled elements (arrow D) . A coupling plate 44 is then fitted at each end of the duct. The position of the sleeve 10 in the angle plate 14 can be adjusted in the direction of the arrow C within a range of about 30 mm, and the position of the slide plate 18 in the profiled element 4 can be adjusted in the direction of the arrow B to an extent of about 4-8 mm, prior to tightening the through-penetrating screws of the sleeves and the locking screws 20 of said slide plate. The attachment height of the profiled elements 4, 6 in a direction in towards and out from the aligning plane can also be adjusted within a range of about 300 mm, by virtue of the accommoda- tion of the sleeves 8, 10 in the slots 32 in the profiled elements. The necessary pipe clasp attachments 78, 90 are then fitted to appropriate profiled elements and the pipe firmly clamped. According to the invention, the pipe is always clamped in the profiled elements that have connections to the front side of the duct, whereby ducts with uneven bottoms need not influ¬ ence the position of the connecting pipes 100 at the lead- through in the front profiled element 46. Any gaps that remain between the wall 2 and respective profiled elements 4, 6 are filled with finishing mortar. The duct is closed by pushing the front profiled element 46 having the straight joining profile 58 attached to the joint head 48 obliquely into hinge pockets 42, wherewith the front profiled element is closed in accordance with the arrows A. As the front profiled element is closed, the curvature of the jointing head slides against the shoulder 34, which in a closed position forces the jointing head into tight abutment with the lip 40 on the profiled element. A front lock 102 in the form of a flat bar is pushed from one end of the front profiled element into the groove 52 on the opposite jointing head, therewith to lock the front profiled element against a corresponding lip 40 on the other profiled element 6. The ducts illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 are fitted in a similar manner, with the exception that the front profiled element 46' of the angle duct shown in Fig. 3 is, instead, alternatively fastened to the profiled element 4 with the aid of only one screw, not shown. The profiled members of the installation unit are preferably made of extruded aluminium or some similarly formed plastic or composite material. The inventive installation unit thus enables ducts of different shapes and sizes, e.g. horizontal ducts, vertical ducts, angle ducts and surface-mounted rectangular ducts, and angled ducts with both external and internal corners to be constructed with only a few prefabricated parts. Free¬ standing square or rectangular ducts can be assembled from the front profiled elements and can be assembled both with and without profiled elements.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An installation unit for wet rooms, hospital treatment rooms or similar rooms, including a duct (1) intended for suspension in a building such as to cover service installa¬ tions therein, said duct comprising a framework and covering or housing elements (46) connectable thereto, of which covering elements at least one is removable, wherein said framework can be anchored to an underlying supportive surface (2) in the building, characterized in that the framework includes at least one post (4, 6) which can be anchored to said underlying supportive surface by means of continuously adjustable first attachment means (8-22) which include two adjuster devices (8; 18) having mutually engaging threads by means of which the adjuster devices can be moved relatively between two end positions, and of which adjuster devices one device (8) can be locked firmly to the underlying supportive surface (2) and the other (18) can be locked firmly to the post (4, 6). 2. An installation unit for wet rooms according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first attachment means include at least one fastener plate (14-15) which includes an elongated slot of predetermined length and which is anchored at one end to said underlying supportive surface (2) and in whose slot the first adjuster device can be locked (13) in selected positions therein. 3. An installation unit for wet rooms according to Claim 2, characterized in that the fastener plate is a flat plate (15). 4. An installation unit for wet rooms according to Claim 2, characterized in that the fastener plate is an angled plate (14). 5. An installation unit for wet rooms according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the first adjuster device is a sleeve (8, 10) having an external screw thread, and the second adjuster device is a slide plate (18) which is displaceably arranged in the post and which has an opening provided with a corresponding internal screw thread in which the sleeve is screwed; in that the sleeve is screwed to the underlying supportive surface through the medium of a force-distributing sleeved foot (12) and by means of a screw which passes through said sleeve; and in that one end of the sleeve has a hexagonal head (16) firmly anchored thereon. 6. An installation unit for wet rooms according to Claim 5, characterized in that the slide plate (18) can be locked selectively between two end positions along the extension of the post (4, 6) by means of a lock plate (22) and a lock screw (20) which is threaded in the slide plate and which can be brought into pressing engagement with said lock plate. 7. An installation unit for wet rooms according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the cover elements include front profiles (46, 46'), radiator front profiles (68), straight jointing profiles (58) and corner profiles (60); in that the post is comprised of a profiled element (4, 6) having slots (32) in which the adjuster sleeves (8, 10) are fitted, grooves (24, 36) for receiving pipe clasp attachments, and a hinge pocket (42) which is delimited by a latch shoulder (34) for engagement with respective jointing heads (48) formed on opposing edges of each front profile; and in that the jointing profiles (58) and the corner profiles (60) have second attachment means (56, 58) for sealingly joining the front profiles together and to the profiled elements of said duct framework, thereby enabling the construction of horizontal, vertical and angled ducts of varying widths, the latter with both external and internal corners. 8. An installation unit for wet rooms according to Claim 7, characterized in that the second attachment means include on each jointing and corner profile connecting means ( 62 ) having shoulders (64) with inclined flank surfaces (66); in that each connecting means is insertable into a groove 52 provided in each jointing head; in that at least one screw (56) is frusto-conical and can be screwed into an opening provided herefor in the vicinity of the groove in the jointing head such that the screw will press the cover elements tightly together by virtue of the wedge effect achieved against the inclined flank surfaces on respective shoulders of the connecting means (62). 9. An installation unit according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that third attachment means (78, 90) can be anchored to the duct framework (4, 6) for supporting pipes (80, 96) enclosed in the duct in predetermined positions relative to the outside of the duct. 10. An installation unit for wet rooms according to Claim 9, characterized in that the third attachment means includes a clasp strip (92) having an attachment (86') that can be selectively anchored in the profiled element, said clasp strip having longitudinally extending clasp grooves (94) in which one end of at least one clasp band (97) having stepped recesses can be inserted so as to adapt the length of said band to the diameter of a pipe (96) to be clasped by means of a screw attachment (98) on the other end of the band, wherein said screw attachment can be screwed firmly in one of said clasp grooves.

Inventors: LINDER MATS, LINDER, MATS
Applicants: LINDER MATS, LINDER, MATS
Application year: 1996
Main classification: E03C1
IPC codes: E03B7, E03C1, F24D3, F28D1, F28F9