Abstract:
A wall-mountable mirror support unit including at least one box having a rear face attachable to a wall is provided. A light permeable cover extends over and seals the front of the box to prevent the ingress of water or dirt therein. The box contains at least one light and associated circuitry therein. The support unit includes means to enable a mirror having light-permeable regions to be attached thereto over the front of the box so that the light emitted by each light is transmitted through the light permeable cover and the light permeable regions of the mirror.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a mirror support unit and, in particular, to a mirror support unit provided with an improved water-proof electrical back-lighting section.  
         [0003]     2. Background of Related Art  
         [0004]     Mirrors units are known in the art that comprise an integral electrical lighting section. Such mirror units generally comprise a rear housing that contains the electrical components such as wiring, a transformer (if present), light bulb(s)/fluorescent tube(s), and a mirror attached over the front of the housing. The mirror is provided with areas where the reflective coating is absent so that the light emitted from the bulb/fluorescent tube can pass therethrough to give the attractive ‘back-lighting’ effect.  
         [0005]     Mirror units that are designed to be used in damp environments, such as in bathrooms, are required to meet certain safety standards requiring the housing to be sufficiently sealed to ensure that moisture cannot reach the electrical components therein from the exterior environment. In the UK, this particular safety standard is known as IP44—water or dust proofing—part of electrical lighting British Standards specification EN 60598.  
         [0006]     Conventional known bathroom mirror units that meet such safety standards are generally of one of two basic forms of construction:  
         [0007]     a) A rear box that houses the electrical components which is secured to a wall and has an open front, and a co-operating front box that fits inside the rear box and has an open rear and a mirror permanently fixed to the front of the front box. A waterproofing seal is provided around the edges of one of the boxes such that when the front box is fitted to the rear box, the seal locates in between the edges of the two boxes to prevent moisture from getting into the interior of the rear box and to the electrical components therein.  
         [0008]     b) A single rear box that houses the electrical components, which is secured to a wall and has an open front face. A seal is provided on the rim of the edges of the front of the box, and a mirror is secured over the open front of the box, the rear of the mirror engaging with the seal to prevent moisture from getting into the box and to the electrical components therein.  
         [0009]     The two types of mirror unit construction mentioned above have a number of disadvantages. Both comprise at least one box unit of substantially the same size as the mirror itself. These box units are bulky and heavy and can also be expensive to manufacture, adding a significant cost to the final price of the unit. It can also be difficult to line up the seal around the entire perimeter of the box(es) and/or mirror, so making the necessary waterproofing difficult to achieve.  
         [0010]     In addition to the above, in both constructions, the moisture-resistant seal is only made waterproof when the mirror is put in place—either when attached to a front box as in construction a) or, when the rear face of the mirror contacts the front edge seal of the rear box as in construction b). This means that the effectiveness of the seal is dependent upon final assembly of the mirror unit once it is in situ, and therefore cannot be controlled by the producer at the manufacturing stage to ensure it is effective. It also means that as soon as the mirror is detached from the unit, the device is no longer electrically safe in such damp environments.  
         [0011]     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mirror support unit that substantially alleviates-or overcomes the problems mentioned above.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0012]     According to the present invention, therefore, there is provided a wall-mountable mirror support unit including at least one box having a rear face attachable to a wall and a light permeable cover extending over and sealing the front of the box to prevent the ingress of water or dirt therein, the box containing at least one light and associated circuitry therein, the support unit including means to enable a mirror having light-permeable regions to be attached thereto over the front of the box so that the light emitted by the or each light is transmitted through the light permeable cover and the light permeable regions of the mirror.  
         [0013]     The wall-mountable mirror support unit preferably comprises two boxes and the two boxes are preferably jointed to one another by a connecting plate.  
         [0014]     In a preferred embodiment, the two boxes are elongate and orientated parallel to one another, and the connecting plate is disposed between the boxes to form a generally ‘H’ shape.  
         [0015]     The two boxes or each box is preferably formed from a generally ‘U’ shaped extrusion having a rear wall and two side walls. The two boxes or each extruded box is preferably formed with opposing recessed channels in the inside surface of each side wall, distal from the rear wall.  
         [0016]     In a preferred embodiment, the light permeable cover or each light permeable cover that comprises the front face of the two boxes or each box is a transparent or translucent plate that is held in position by opposite parallel edges of the plate locating in said recessed channels.  
         [0017]     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the precise shape of the box or boxes described above and the means by which the light permeable cover is attached over the front of the box or boxes is only a preferred embodiment and the invention is not limited to such a preferred embodiment, but rather other shapes of boxes and means of attaching a light permeable cover of the front thereof are intended to fall within the scope of the claims of the invention.  
         [0018]     The plate or each plate can conveniently be slid into position in the recessed channels of the two boxes or each box from one end thereof, and the plate or each plate may be made from glass or alternatively may be made from plastic, such as perspex.  
         [0019]     Preferably, a sealing material is provided in the recessed channels so that when the plate or each plate is located with its edges in the channels, the sealing material is disposed between the plate edges and the channel to form a waterproof seal therebetween.  
         [0020]     Advantageously, the plate or each plate is retained in position in the front face of the two boxes or each box by an end cap fixed to each end of the two boxes or each box, and the end caps are preferably held in position by screws extending into the two boxes or each box.  
         [0021]     In a preferred embodiment, the end caps form a watertight seal with the end of the two boxes or each box and the plate or each plate held therein, and a gasket, possibly made of silicon or of rubber, may be disposed between the end-cap or each end-cap and the respective box to create the watertight seal therebetween.  
         [0022]     The plate or each plate that forms the light-permeable cover of the two boxes or each box is preferably removable from the two boxes or each box to allow access to the interior thereof.  
         [0023]     The light of the two boxes or each box may comprise at least one filament-light bulb held in a socket, and preferably comprises a plurality of filament-light bulbs held in sockets. Alternatively, the light of the two boxes or each box may comprise a fluorescent tube held in an associated socket.  
         [0024]     A preferred embodiment of the invention further comprises a mirror mounted over the front of the mirror support unit, the mirror preferably having a rear surface with a reflective coating thereon, and light permeable regions of the mirror are regions where said reflective coating is absent.  
         [0025]     The light-permeable regions of the mirror are conveniently positioned to correspond to the position of the light or each light in the two boxes or each box when the mirror is mounted in position over the front of the two boxes or each box. The light-permeable regions are preferably sanded.  
         [0026]     In an alternative embodiment, an at least partially transparent or translucent decorative panel may be mounted over the front of the mirror support unit. The decorative panel preferably includes a decorative picture or image thereon. The transparent or translucent portions of the decorative panel may be positioned to correspond to the position of the light or each light in the two boxes or each box when the decorative panel is mounted in position over the front of the two boxes or each box.  
         [0027]     In a preferred embodiment, the connecting plate has at least one aperture therein, and the mirror/decorative panel has at least one hook on the rear surface thereof. The at least one hook is receivable in the at least one aperture to enable the mirror/decorative panel to be mounted to and in front of the connecting plate and associated boxes. Conveniently, the connecting plate has a raised portion and the at least one aperture is formed in said raised portion.  
         [0028]     The two boxes or each box, exclusive of the front face, is preferably made from metal, and the metal is conveniently aluminium. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]     An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to  FIGS. 5-8 , in which:  
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a first prior art mirror unit;  
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the mirror unit of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of a second prior art mirror unit;  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the mirror unit of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a mirror support unit according to the present invention;  
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the mirror support unit of  FIG. 5  with a mirror proximate the front thereof;  
         [0036]      FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the mirror support unit and mirror of  FIG. 6 ; and  
         [0037]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of one stanchion of the mirror support unit of  FIGS. 5-7 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0038]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a first known embodiment of a mirror unit  10  is disclosed comprising a first box portion  11  having top, bottom, left and right side walls  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c ,  11   d , respectively, and it is open at its front face. The first box  11  contains two fluorescent light tubes  14  electrically connected to a supply of electricity (not shown) by wires  14   a , the light tubes  14  being turned on and off by means of a switch  15 , which is activated by a pull-toggle  16 . A silicon seal  17  extends continuously around the outside surfaces of walls  11   a - 11   d  of the first box  11 .  
         [0039]     A second box portion  12  is open at its rear and has a mirror  13  attached to a front face thereof. The second box  12  includes top, bottom, left and right side walls  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ,  12   d , respectively. The surface of the mirror  13  has reflective portions  13   a  which reflect light incident thereon and do not allow light to pass therethrough, and transparent/translucent portions  13   b  which allow light to pass through from behind the mirror  13  to the front thereof.  
         [0040]     In use, the first box portion  11  is mounted to a wall by any suitable fixing means, e.g. screws (not shown) and the wires  14   a  are connected to a source of electricity (not shown). The mirror unit is then assembled by fitting the second box  12  and associated mirror  13  over the first box  11 , and the seal  17  locates between the outside surfaces of the walls  11   a - 11   d  of the first box  11 , and the inside surfaces of the walls  12   a - 12   d  of the second box  12 .  
         [0041]     Once in the above assembled state, the transparent/translucent portions  13   b  of the mirror align with the fluorescent light tubes  14  such that when switched on, the light from the light tubes  14  passes through the transparent/translucent portions  13   b.    
         [0042]     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a second known embodiment of a mirror unit  20  is disclosed, comprising a box portion  21  having top, bottom, left and right side walls  21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ,  21   d , respectively, and it is open at its front face. The box  21  contains two fluorescent light tubes  24  electrically connected to a supply of electricity (not shown) by wires  24   a , the light tubes  24  being turned on and off by means of a switch  25 , which is activated by a pull-toggle  26 . A silicon seal  27  extends continuously around the front-most lip of each of the walls  21   a - 21   d  of the box  21 .  
         [0043]     A mirror  23  has a surface comprising reflective portions  23   a  which reflect light incident thereon and do not allow light to pass therethrough, and transparent/translucent portions  23   b  which allow light to pass through from behind the mirror  23  to the front thereof. In use, the mirror  23  is attached to the box  21  by means of hooks  22   a  on the rear face  23   c  of the mirror which engage with corresponding holes  22   b  on the rear face of the box  21 . Once in position, the rear face  23   c  of the mirror  23  abuts the silicon seal  27  and presses firmly thereagainst to provide a watertight seal operable to prevent moisture reaching the electrical components within the box  21 . In this position, the transparent/translucent portions  23   b  of the mirror align with the fluorescent light tubes  24  such that when switched on, the light from the light tubes  24  passes through the transparent/translucent portions  23   b.    
         [0044]     As mentioned above, both of the known mirror units include at least one box portion which is heavy and bulky. These box portions are also expensive to manufacture and so add significantly to the overall cost of producing such units. In addition, both of the known types of mirror units require the unit to be fully assembled with the mirror itself in place in order for the waterproof seal to be intact, and so a producer of such units cannot sell them in a pre-waterproofed condition satisfying the necessary safety standards, because the mirror is only fitted to the unit once the unit is installed in its final location, e.g. in a bathroom. An effective waterproof seal can also be difficult to achieve in practice by using a silicon strip as described above, due to the strip becoming damaged in transit or in assembly of the unit, or it coming away from the edge wall(s) of the box portion to which it is attached.  
         [0045]     In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems, a mirror support unit  120  of the present invention is provided, and will now be described with reference to FIGS.  5  to  8 .  
         [0046]     The mirror support unit  120  is generally in the form of an ‘H’ and comprises two spaced parallel vertical stanchions  130  connected to one another by a central backing plate  140 . Each stanchion  130  is formed from an extrusion that is generally ‘U’-shaped in cross-section (see  FIG. 8 ), and has a rear wall  131  and side walls  132 . A rebate channel  133  is formed in the inside of each side wall  132 , distal from the rear wall  131  and extending along the length of the stanchion  130 , and positioned such that the rebate channels  133  in each side wall  132  face each other.  
         [0047]     A transparent or translucent light permeable plate  134 , made from glass or perspex for example, is fitted in the front of each stanchion  130  to close the open side of the ‘U’-shape, and is held in position by the edges of the plate  134  locating in the rebate channels  133 . The plate  134  can be located into this position by sliding it in from one end of the stanchion  130  with the panel  134  edges in the rebate channels  133 , until the each end of the plate  134  is flush with the respective end of the stanchion  130 .  
         [0048]     The plates  134  are prevented from sliding out of the stanchions  130  by end caps  135  which are secured to each end of each stanchion  130  by known means—e.g. by screws in the illustrated embodiment which engage with a corresponding aperture (not shown) formed in the extruded stanchion  130 . In order to ensure that each stanchion  130  is waterproof, a sealing strip  133   a  made from a suitable material such as silicon, is provided in each rebate channel  133  (see  FIG. 8 ) so that when the plate  134  is slid into position, the edges of the plate  134  press against the seal strips  133   a.  Furthermore, a sealing gasket  135   a , made from rubber or another such suitable material, is disposed between each end cap  135  and the respective ends of the rear and side walls  131 ,  132  of each stanchion  130 , and the plate  134 , to make a watertight seal therebetween. It will be appreciated that each stanchion  130  is individually waterproofed independently of the other.  
         [0049]     Each stanchion  130  houses at least one electrical lighting device. These can be either fluorescent tubes, or conventional electrical bulbs. The illustrated embodiment shows each stanchion  130  housing two conventional light bulbs  136  held in sockets  137  that are secured to the rear wall  131 . Each socket  137  is connected to a source of electricity (not shown) by conductive wires  138  that extend through a side wall  132  of each stanchion  130 . Each wire  138  is connected to the source of electricity via a switch  139 , operable to turn the light bulbs  136  on and off by pulling a toggle cord  139   a.  Although a toggle cord  139   a  operated switch  139  is illustrated, the invention is not limited to such a switch, and any conventional switch means may be used.  
         [0050]     The switch  139  is attached to the backing plate  140  located between the two stanchions  130 . The backing plate  140  incorporates a raised section  141  with two apertures  142  therein which are used to mount the mirror  110  to the support unit  120 . Each aperture  142  is in the shape of an up-side down trapezium  143  with a further rectangular aperture  144  extending from the bottom right corner of the trapezium and lightly lower than it. The backing plate also includes mounting holes  145  therethrough to allow the mirror support unit  120  to be secured to a wall by conventional means, e.g. screws.  
         [0051]     It should be noted that the end caps  135  and sealing gasket  135   a  can be detached from each end of each stanchion  130 . This allows the plate  134  to be slid out of the stanchion  130  along the rebate channels  133  to allow access to the interior of the stanchion  130 . This is important for when a user needs to change a light bulb  136  or fluorescent tube. Once the light bulb  136  has been replaced, the plate  136 , gasket  135   a  and end cap  135  can be fitted back in place on the respective end of the stanchion  130  to restore the watertight seal.  
         [0052]     In use, the mirror support unit  120  is fixed to a wall or other vertical surface by screws through the mounting holes  145 . The wires  138  of the support unit  120  are then connected to a source of electricity (not shown). The mirror support unit  120  is intended to be supplied fully assembled—that is, the plate  134  located in the rebate channels  133  against the seals  133   a , and the end caps  135  and gaskets  135   a  secured over each end of each stanchion  130  so that each stanchion  130  is fully sealed and waterproof to meet British Standards specification EN 60598-IP44.  
         [0053]     The mirror support unit  120  is designed to be used in conjunction with a mirror  110  (see  FIGS. 6 and 7 ), an example of which will now be described. The mirror  110  comprises a reflective surface  111  over the majority of the surface area, but has areas  112  where the reflective coating has been removed. These areas  112  can either be transparent (e.g. comprise clear glass) or translucent (e.g. the glass in these areas  112  is frosted or sanded). The non-reflective areas  112  are located proximate the side edges of the mirror  110  such that when the mirror  110  is attached to the mirror support unit  120 , to form a complete assembled mirror unit  100 , the non-reflective areas  112  are positioned over the light bulbs  136 . The rear surface of the mirror  110  includes two hooks  113  bonded thereto extending downwards and away from the rear surface of the mirror  110 .  
         [0054]     Once the mirror support unit  120  is in place, the mirror  110  can be fitted to it. This is done by positioning the mirror  110  such that the hooks  113  on the rear of the mirror  110  can be inserted into the trapezium part  143  of the aperture  142  in the raised portion  141  of the backing plate  140 , and as the mirror  110  is lowered, the hooks  113  are guided towards the narrow part of the trapezium-shape hole  143  by its taper, and then the whole mirror  110  is moved to the right and down slightly so that the hooks  113  locate in the rectangular portion  144  of the aperture  142 . Once in this final position, the mirror  110  is centrally located and laterally secure, and the non-reflective portions  112  are aligned with the lights  136  in each stanchion  130 . The complete mirror unit  100  is now fully assembled.  
         [0055]     The above means of attaching a mirror  110  to the mirror support unit  120  is a preferred embodiment only, and any suitable mechanism can be used within the scope of the invention. The mirror  110  could also be glued to the mirror support unit  120 .  
         [0056]     The complete mirror unit  100  is operated by pulling the toggle cord  139   a  which operates the switch  139  to turn the lights  136  on or off. When the lights  136  are on, the light emitted therefrom passes through the non-reflective portions  112  of the mirror  110  and produce a ‘back-lighting’ effect.  
         [0057]     The mirror support unit  120  of the present invention does not suffer from any of the disadvantages of the known mirror units mentioned above. It is much lighter and more compact than the large boxes of known devices, and because the stanchions  130  are extruded and the back plate  140  can be made from a pressed sheet of metal, the whole mirror support unit  120  is much cheaper to manufacture than known mirror units.  
         [0058]     Furthermore, in use, a mirror  110  can easily be removed and replaced with an alternative design if so desired, without affecting the waterproof seal of the mirror support unit  120  behind the mirror  110 . Similarly, if the mirror  110  should get broken for any reason, it is simple to replace, and in the intervening period before a new mirror is installed, the exposed mirror support unit  120  is still electrically safe, as the waterproof seal is independent of any mirror  110  and whether or not the whole mirror unit  100  is assembled.  
         [0059]     Conversely, to change the mirror  13 / 23  of any of the prior art mirror units  10 / 20  would involve the complication of having to break the waterproof seal  17 / 27  and then having to re-seal the unit  10 / 20  once the replacement mirror is installed, which is troublesome and presents the risk that the replacement seal may not be correctly fitted, leaving the unit  10 / 20  at risk of exposure to moisture and the associated dangerous consequences.  
         [0060]     It is intended that the present invention may also be used to support a decorative panel instead of a mirror. For example, a translucent panel, made from coloured glass or plastic, could be attached over the front of the mirror support unit  120 , and have a decorative pattern or artistic image thereon. Then, when the lights  136  are switched on, the light(s) would illuminate the coloured pattern or image producing an attractive effect.