Abstract:
A novel bathroom vanity provides storage space for a bathroom scale and makes efficient use of the volume occupied in the bathroom by the vanity. In several embodiments, the bathroom scale is stored in a drawer in a kick panel, the drawer being moved between a closed position, wherein the scale is stored, and an open position wherein the scale can be used. Preferably, the scale is capable of providing a digital output of its readings to a digital display on the vanity.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This Application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(a) of Canadian Patent Application No. 2,527,841, having a filing date of Nov. 25, 2005, titled “BATHROOM VANITY,” and under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/691,937, having a filing date of Jun. 17, 2005, titled “BATHROOM VANITY,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to furniture for a bathroom or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to bathroom vanities and the like.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Bathroom furniture has been in use for many years. In particular, most bathrooms include a vanity which offers a countertop support for a sink and which further offers some storage capacity for toiletries, towels, washcloths and the like.  
         [0004]     In the last decade or two, increasing health consciousness among individuals has resulted in most bathrooms including a weigh scale. Such weigh scales occupy floor space, which is often quite limited in a bathroom, and typically are unattractive and/or difficult to match to the decor of the bathroom. Further, with technological developments in health equipment and other information systems, individuals can now have a great deal of information available to them which would usefully be accessed in the bathroom. However, to date there has not been any safe and/or convenient way to access such information in the bathroom.  
         [0005]     It is desired to have a bathroom vanity which provides effective storage space for a weigh scale such that the weigh scale no longer occupies floor space when not in use and such that the weigh scale is not visible when stored. It is further desired to have a bathroom vanity which provides a mechanism for the safe and convenient way to access information of interest to the bathroom user.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel bathroom vanity which obviates or mitigates at least one disadvantage of the prior art.  
         [0007]     According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bathroom vanity comprising: a structure for supporting a sink and including at least one storage volume, the structure further including a bathroom scale storage device. Preferably, the vanity includes a kick panel and the bathroom scale storage device is located in the kick panel. Also preferably, the bathroom scale storage device comprises a drawer in the kick panel, the drawer receiving a bathroom scale and being moveable between a closed position wherein the drawer is flush with the kick panel and an open position wherein the drawer extends from the kick panel to provide access to the scale.  
         [0008]     The present invention provides a bathroom vanity which provides storage space for a bathroom scale and which makes efficient use of the volume occupied in the bathroom by the vanity. In several embodiments, the bathroom scale is stored in a drawer in a kick panel, the drawer being moved between a closed position, wherein the scale is stored, and an open position wherein the scale can be used. Preferably, the scale is capable of providing an output of its readings to a digital display on the vanity. Also preferably, the digital display is multifunction allowing the display of a variety of information to a user. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a front and side perspective view of a bathroom vanity in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of a bathroom scale drawer of the vanity of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a front and side perspective view of another bathroom vanity in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a top view of a bathroom scale drawer of the vanity of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of the bathroom scale drawer  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  shows a front and side perspective view of another bathroom vanity in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  shows a section taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  shows a front and side perspective view of another bathroom vanity in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  shows a side view of a bathroom scale storage device of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0019]      FIGS. 10 and 11  show front and side perspective views of another bathroom vanity in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 12  shows a side view of another bathroom scale drawer for use with a vanity in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 13  shows a cross section taken along line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 12 ; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 14  shows a side view of the drawer of  FIG. 12  with the platform in a retracted position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     A bathroom vanity in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at  20  in  FIG. 1 . Vanity  20  includes a vanity base  24  and a medicine chest  28 ;  
         [0024]     As shown, vanity base  24  supports a counter top  32  and a sink  36  which can be integrally formed in countertop  32 , or sink  36  can be a separate component mounted in counter top  32 . Vanity base  24  preferably further includes a set of storage compartments, such as cupboards  40  and pull-out drawers  44 .  
         [0025]     In the illustrated embodiment, medicine chest  28  is separate from vanity base  24  and is attached, at a point above vanity base  24 , to a wall in the bathroom. However, as will be apparent to those of skill in the art, medicine chest  28  can also be integral with vanity base  24 . Medicine chest  28  typically includes at least one mirror  48  and one or more storage volumes, such as cupboards  52  and/or nooks  56 .  
         [0026]     Vanity bases usually include a kick panel between the bottom of the doors to the cupboards, and/or any lower drawers, and the floor to permit clearance for the doors and/or drawers to open and to raise the bottom of the cupboards, and/or drawers to a height which is more convenient for users to access. Typically, the space behind kick panel is unused “dead space”, although it is also known to provide a small cupboard or drawer in this dead space, instead of a kick panel.  
         [0027]     Unlike the prior art, vanity  20  includes a bathroom scale storage device, in this embodiment bathroom scale drawer  60 , shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Drawer  60  is located where a kick panel would conventionally be placed and is slidably mounted in vanity base  24  via a pair of drawer tracks  64 . Drawer  60  further preferably includes a biasing means which biases drawer  60  to the open position, shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0028]     In the illustrated embodiment, best seen in  FIG. 2 , the biasing means comprises a pair of spring loaded members  68 , mounted to drawer  60 , which abut a rear panel of vanity base  24  when drawer  60  is moved from the open position and which bias drawer  60  towards the open position.  
         [0029]     As will be apparent to those of skill in the art, the biasing means can be provided in many other configurations and arrangements, such as mounting spring loaded members  68  on the rear panel of vanity base  24  to abut the back of drawer  60 , providing an elastic member (not shown) extending across the space into which drawer  60  fits when in the closed position—the elastic member being tensioned when drawer  60  is moved to the closed position, providing a pressurized gas or hydraulic piston between drawer  60  and vanity base  24 , or any other suitable means for biasing drawer  60  towards the open position.  
         [0030]     Drawer  60  further includes a toggle latch (not shown) which operates such that a first press on the front of drawer  60  releases the latch to allow the biasing means to move drawer  60  to the open position and a second press on the front of drawer  60 , as the drawer is moved against the biasing means to a closed position wherein drawer  60  is substantially under vanity base  24 , caused the latch to engage and maintain drawer  60  in the closed position. Such toggle latches are well known and are available from a variety of manufacturers and in a variety of designs.  
         [0031]     In use, a user can press on the front of drawer  60  with a toe or other part of their foot to unlatch drawer  60  which is then biased to the open position by the biasing means. When finished with drawer  60 , the user again presses the front of drawer  60  with a toe, or other part of their foot, to return drawer  60  to the closed position, overcoming the biasing force of the biasing means, and latching the toggle latch so that drawer  60  is maintained in the closed position.  
         [0032]     In a presently preferred embodiment, a toggle latch, available from Richelieu Hardware, 6420 Viscount Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and referred to as a Drawer Kicker, part number 102111, is employed with drawer  60 . The Drawer Kicker toggle latch is attached to the rear panel of vanity base  24 , adjacent where the back cross piece of drawer  60  is located when drawer  60  is in the closed position or to the back of the cross piece of drawer  60 , and the Drawer Kicker toggle latch performs both the above-described toggle latch functionality and also acts as a biasing means to bias drawer  60  to the open position when the latch is pushed and released.  
         [0033]     As illustrated, drawer  60  does not include a conventional bottom panel but instead includes a webbing of elastic straps  72  which serves instead of a bottom panel. In the illustrated embodiment, drawer  60  includes a pair of elastic straps  72   a  extending between the sides of drawer  60  and another pair of elastic straps  72   b  extending from the front to the back of drawer  60 . The number, arrangement, size and elastic force of straps  72  is selected such that straps  72  will support the weight of a bathroom scale in drawer  60  when the scale is not in use and will stretch to allow the bathroom scale to rest upon the bathroom floor when a user is standing on the scale. Thus, when the user is standing on the bathroom scale, straps  72  stretch such that the scale is supported by the bathroom floor and the scale can operate in a conventional manner. When the user steps off the scale, straps  72  contract, due to their elastic force, lifting the scale up and back into drawer  60 .  
         [0034]     In this manner, drawer  60  need not be constructed to carry the weight of the user and the scale and instead need only be constructed with sufficient strength to carry the forces generated by the weight of the scale and the forces transmitted by straps  72 . Further, by allowing the scale to be supported by the bathroom floor, no brake or other mechanism is required to prevent drawer  60  from moving when a user is standing on the scale as drawer  60  is effectively immobilized by the scale being in contact with the bathroom floor.  
         [0035]     To accommodate any irregularities in the floor on which vanity base  24  is installed, drawer  60  preferably includes a front panel  74  whose height is slightly less than the space in the front of vanity base  24  into which it is received. Front panel  74  is mounted to drawer tracks  64 , and their associate drawer side members, such that the vertical positioning of front panel  74  with respect to drawer tracks  64 , and thus vanity base  24 , can be adjusted to vertically clear minor irregularities in the floor on which vanity base  24  is installed or carpets, etc. It is contemplated that a vertical adjustment of as much as one quarter of an inch will suffice in most circumstances, although larger or smaller adjustment ranges can be provided if desired.  
         [0036]     The method of attaching front panel  74  to drawer tracks  64  is not particularly limited and a variety of mechanisms can be employed. For example, an angle bracket attached directly or indirectly to drawer tracks  64  can be employed, the angle bracket including vertical slots through which mounting screws extend into front panel  74 , the slots allowing the screws and front panel  74  to be vertically positioned as desired. As will be apparent to those of skill in the art, as front panel  74  is moveable with respect to drawer tracks  64  and drawer tracks  64  are mounted in a fixed relationship to vanity base  24 , vertical adjustment of front panel  74  does not result in vertical adjustment of the rest of drawer  60  with respect to vanity base  24 .  
         [0037]     If desired, vanity base  24  can be equipped with conventional storage drawers or cupboards, instead of kick panels, on either side of the volume which receives drawer  60 . In the case that storage drawers are provided, these storage drawers can also feature vertically adjustable front panels, similar to front panel  74 .  
         [0038]     The actual bathroom scale employed is not limited, except in regard of fitting within drawer  60 , and can be a mechanical scale, a digital electronic scale, etc. A digital electronic scale, which can provide other health related information such as percentage body fat, etc., is presently preferred for use with vanity  20 . For example, the digital weigh scale in drawer  60  can offer a range of other services such as measuring percentage body fat, percentage of water content, pulse, etc. Scales which can provide these measurements, or various subsets of these measurements are known.  
         [0039]     In particular, a digital electronic scale which supports a remote readout is presently preferred. For example, such a digital electronic scale can communicate its readings, via radio frequency transmission, infrared transmission or wired connection to a readout which is located substantially at eye height of a user standing on the scale. Many suitable radio frequency or infrared communications techniques for communicating with such remote readouts will be apparent to those of skill in the art, including Bluetooth, 802.11x, IrDA, wired Ethernet, etc.  
         [0040]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , a remote digital display  76  is provided on mirror  48  of medicine chest  28 . In a presently preferred embodiment, remote digital display  76  is located behind mirror  48  overlying a region of mirror  48  which is not coated with reflective material, or which has a thinner coating of such material, such that the information displayed by display  76  is visible through mirror  48 . However, it is also contemplated that display  76 , in a suitable moisture resistant enclosure, can be mounted to the front side of mirror  48  of elsewhere on medicine chest  28 , vanity base  24  or even on a wall or other structure in the bathroom in which vanity  20  is installed.  
         [0041]     If the digital electronic scale includes one or more controls to alter its operation, such as a switch to change the displayed weight from metric units to English units, or to change the display from displaying weight to displaying the percentage body fat, etc., such controls can be included with display  76  and can communicate with the scale via the above-mentioned radio, infrared or wired communications techniques to allow the user to operate the scale without the need to stoop to reach controls on the scale.  
         [0042]     Another embodiment of bathroom vanity  20  is illustrated in  FIGS. 3 through 5 , wherein like components to those of  FIGS. 1 and 2  are indicated with like reference numerals. In this embodiment, bathroom scale drawer  100  is equipped with support rollers  104  which engage the bathroom floor on which vanity  20  is installed and allow drawer  100  to be slid between open and closed positions. Unlike with drawer  60  described above, drawer  100  includes a rigid bottom panel  108  to support a bathroom scale. However, as before, drawer  100  is preferably equipped with a toggle latch to provide a “push to latch, push to unlatch” functionality. Also as before, vanity  20  is equipped with a biasing means to urge drawer  100  to the open position, illustrated in  FIG. 3 , when the toggle latch is unlatched. In the illustrated embodiment, the biasing means is an elastic strap (not shown) extending across the volume into which drawer  1   00  is moved when being placed in the closed position. The rear of drawer  100  contact the elastic strap and tensions it as drawer  100  is moved to the closed position and this strap urges drawer  100  to the open position.  
         [0043]     The roller portion of support rollers  104  which engages the bathroom floor are spring mounted within the housings of support rollers  104  and operate such that, as a user stands on a scale in drawer  100 , the springs of support rollers  104  are compressed, bringing the underside of panel  108  into contact with the bathroom floor. At the same time, the upper surface of the roller portions of support rollers  104  engage a surface within the housing of support rollers  104 , this engagement of the rollers with the surface acting as a brake to prevent movement of drawer  100  when a user is standing on a scale therein.  
         [0044]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show another embodiment of the present invention, similar to that shown in  FIG. 3  through  5 , wherein like components are indicated with like reference numerals. In this embodiment, bathroom scale drawer  200  is pivotally mounted to vanity base  24  by a hinge  204  located adjacent one side of drawer  200  which allows drawer  200  to be pivoted from the closed position to the open position illustrated in  FIG. 7 . As before, drawer  200  is preferably equipped with a toggle latch and hinge  204  also permits vertical movement of drawer  200  to allow the springs in support rollers  104  to be compressed, so that panel  108  is supported by the bathroom floor. Further, as before, a biasing means is provided to bias drawer  200  to the open position. In the illustrated configuration, the biasing means is an elastic strap  208  extending across the space  212  occupied by drawer  200  when in the closed position.  
         [0045]     Yet another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9  wherein like components to those of embodiments discussed above are indicated with like reference numerals. In this embodiment, the bathroom scale storage device comprises a support platform  300  to which a bathroom scale  304  can be attached. Platform  300  is attached to vanity base  24  via a hinge  308 , which allows platform  300  to be pivoted up and over kick panel  312  and into the volume behind cupboard doors  316 . A stop support  320  is provided to support the end of platform  300  distal hinge  308  when platform  300  is in the closed position and platform  300  is also preferably equipped with one or more resilient pads  324  to engage the bathroom floor to prevent damage to the bathroom floor and/or to reduce noise when platform  300  is brought into engagement with the bathroom floor. As will be apparent to those of skill in the art, the bathroom scale should be fastened to platform  300  such that the scale remains attached thereto when platform  300  is in the closed position and the scale is inverted thereon. Further, it is contemplated that platform  300  can be further equipped with a biasing means, such as a coil spring on hinge  308 , to assist in moving platform  300  from the closed position to the open position.  
         [0046]      FIGS. 10 and 11  shows another embodiment of the present invention wherein like components to those of embodiments discussed above are indicated with like reference numerals. In this embodiment, vanity base  24  includes a bathroom scale storage device which comprises a pull out scale compartment  400 . Compartment  400  includes a roller  404  to engage the bathroom floor to support compartment  400  and compartment  400  slides, as indicated by arrow  408 , in roller tracks, not shown, between a closed position wherein the front  412  of compartment  400  is flush with the front of vanity base  24  and the open position illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Compartment  400  is slid out of vanity base  24  until a scale support platform  416 , which is mounted to compartment  400  by a hinge, in a manner very similar to that discussed above with respect to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , is free of vanity base  24  to pivot, as indicated by arrow  420 , to the open position shown in  FIG. 11 . As before, the bathroom scale is suitably fastened to platform  416  and platform  416  can include one or more resilient pads to engage the bathroom floor. Alternatively, a bathroom scale can be directly hinged to compartment  400 , eliminating the need for platform  416 .  
         [0047]      FIGS. 12, 13  and  14  show another drawer  500  for holding a weigh scale in accordance with the present invention. Drawer  500 , which can be installed in vanity  24  of  FIG. 1  or the like, comprises a rectangular shaped drawer frame comprising a front panel  504 , a pair of drawer sides  508  and a rear cross member  512 . Front panel  504  can be attached to drawer sides  508  to allow for vertical adjustment of front panel  504 , as discussed above, and drawer tracks can be attached to drawer sides  508 , or any other suitable means employed, to allow drawer  500  to move into and out of the vanity it is installed in.  
         [0048]     The drawer frame of drawer  500  supports a platform  516  upon which a weigh scale or other device can be placed. Platform  516  is mounted to the drawer frame by spring guides  520  which extend between drawer sides  508  and platform  516 . Each spring guide  520  includes a coil spring which is at least partially inserted into a bore in drawer side  508  and one end of the coil spring abuts the bottom of the bore while the opposite end abuts the underside of platform  516 .  
         [0049]     Platform  516  further includes a set of depending legs  524  which preferably are closely adjacent the inner surfaces of the drawer frame to inhibit lateral movement of platform  516  with respect to the drawer frame. Further, each spring guide  520  can include a pin depending from platform  516  into the respective bore in drawer sides  508 , with the coil spring encircling the pin to further inhibit lateral movement of platform  516 .  
         [0050]     In use, platform  516  and the device (weigh scale, etc.) installed on it is supported by spring guides  520  such that legs  524  are not in contact with the floor as drawer  500  is moved between open and closed positions in the vanity, as shown in  FIG. 14 .  
         [0051]     When a user steps onto the weigh scale of other device on platform  516 , the springs in spring guides  520  are compressed and platform  516  moves down until legs  524  contact the floor to stop further downward movement of platform  516  and to support the user on the device, as illustrated in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . The length of legs  524  is selected such that platform does not directly contact the drawer frame and legs  524  can be equipped with rubber or other non-skid members on their lower ends to prevent movement of drawer  500  while legs  524  are in contact with the floor.  
         [0052]     As will be apparent to those of skill in the art platform  516  need not have four depending legs  524 . If spring guides  520  or any other suitable method is employed to inhibit lateral movement of platform  516 , then platform  516  can have any number of legs  524  as desired, including having only a single, albeit somewhat larger, centrally located leg  524 .  
         [0053]     It is contemplated that, if any of the above-described embodiments of vanity  20  is equipped with a digital readout  76 , relevant information and/or other information of interest to the bathroom occupant. When combined with other devices which can communicate with readout  76  via radio, infrared, wired Ethernet or other communications techniques, a variety of other functionalities can be offered by vanity  20 . Examples of such other information of interest include weather information from an external sensor station, time and date information, television programming and/or web browsing capabilities, etc.  
         [0054]     It is further contemplated that other bathroom objects can communicate with readout  76  to provide information of interest to the bathroom occupant. For example, the water tap for sink  36  can include a temperature sensor and a Bluetooth transceiver to provide on readout  76  a measure of the temperature of the water supplied from the tap. Further, a strain gauge, combined with a Bluetooth or other transceiver, can be placed under a tile in the bathroom floor, or under the seat of a toilet or the mounting of the toilet, to provide the weight and other information about a user in place of a conventional bathroom scale.  
         [0055]     The above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be examples of the present invention and alterations and modifications may be effected thereto, by those of skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto.