Patent Publication Number: US-2007097672-A1

Title: Vanity unit

Description:
RELATED/PRIORITY APPLICATION  
      This application claims priority from British Application No. 0522004.1 filed on Oct. 28, 2005.  
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates to a vanity unit.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      In PCT/GB02/02944 is described a flat screen television unit particularly adapted to be inset into a bathroom wall, with a rectangular portion of the wall chopped out to accommodate a back box, into which is inserted and secured a carrier plate provided at one side with a TV monitor, and at the other side with a glass screen. The carrier plate is secured to the back box by VELCRO™ whilst the screen is secured to the carrier plate by adhesive. Sealant must then be applied around the screen to effect a waterproof seal between the screen and the back box.  
      In PCT/GB2005/002027 is described an improved construction of flat screen TV unit again intended for bathroom/kitchen etc installation and hence of a waterproof nature, in which inter alia, a magnetic catch arrangement is employed between a mounting plate and an outer glass cover.  
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION  
      A basic object of the present invention is the provision of a vanity unit.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      According to the present invention there is provided a vanity unit comprising:  
      (i) a support frame adapted to be surface mounted to, or inserted into, a receiving component, such as a wall or door, and secured in position, or to be free-standing;  
      (ii) a mirror carried by the support frame and forming an outer surface thereof; (iii) a flat screen display assembly, also carried by the support frame, and mounted behind the mirror; and  
      (iv) at least one user-operable water supply tap associated with the mirror.  
     ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention provides a vanity unit with a flat screen display assembly behind a mirror, so that the unit has multiple functions as required by the users.  
     PREFERRED OR OPTIONAL FEATURES  
      The support frame is rectangular in front and rear elevation.  
      The support frame is constructed from lengths of hollow rectangular section tubing  
      The front wall is provided with a rectangular aperture corresponding at least in part to the area of the display assembly.  
      Walls of the lengths of tugging of the support frame are apertured to receive at least one water supply pipe to the tap, and also cabling to the display assembly.  
      The mirror is a conventional mirror.  
      The mirror is of the kind whereby the display assembly is hidden behind the mirror, remaining virtually invisible until activated by the user.  
      The mirror has an area the same as that defined by the support frame.  
      The mirror has a slightly larger area than that defined by the support frame.  
      The mirror is one piece.  
      The mirror is assembled from multiple pieces, of size suitable for handling and transportation, particularly where the covering of an entire wall by such a vanity unit is required.  
      The display assembly occupies a fraction e.g. approximately one third or less, of the mirror area.  
      Two taps are provided, one for cold water, one for hot water.  
      A single, mixer tap is provided.  
      The mirror is secured to the outside of the front wall e.g. by adhesive.  
      The display assembly is a TV monitor.  
      The display assembly is a computer monitor.  
      A waterproof sealant is provided between the mirror and the front wall.  
      The vanity unit is provided with a water delivery spout connectable to an outlet of the tap(s).  
      The water spout projects forwardly from the mirror.  
      The water spout is removable by the user.  
      The unit is associated with a wash basin.  
      The unit is associated with a bath.  
      A manually operable spout control projects forwardly from the mirror.  
      The vanity unit is provided with a rigid, or flexible shower hose connectable at one end to an outlet of the tap(s) and provided at the other end with shower head.  
      The vanity unit is provided with lights, particularly in the embodiment with an oversize mirror(s).  
      The lights are along the sides of the unit.  
      The vanity unit is provided with speakers.  
      The speakers are integral.  
      The speakers are separate.  
      The vanity unit is provided with one or more operating switches for the display assembly, speakers, etc.  
      The display assembly is operable by a user-operable remote control unit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a vanity unit in accordance with the invention;  
       FIGS. 2A, 2B  and  2 C are respectively a front elevation, a side elevation, a top plan of a support frame of a vanity unit in accordance with the invention, and  
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  are respectively front and side elevations of a tap mounting plate. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      In the drawings, a vanity unit  1  in accordance with the invention comprises basically a rectangular mirror  2  secured to a front surface of a rectangular support frame or chassis  3  detailed in  FIGS. 2A  to  2 C.  
      The vanity unit  1  is adapted to be either surface mounted on a wall e.g. of a bathroom, or inset into a suitable rectangular recess provided in a wall above a wash basin (not shown) or bathtub (not shown), or could be free-standing.  
      In detail, the support frame  3  is fabricated from hollow, rectangular section metal tubing and comprises a sheet metal front wall or surface  4  separated from a back wall  5  by two interconnecting side walls  6 , a top wall  7 , and a bottom wall  8 . The front wall  4  is provided with a cruciform aperture  9  of dimensions corresponding generally to those of a flat screen TV monitor  10  ( FIG. 2B ), which is mounted on the frame  3  by suitable means such as by nuts onto studs or screws/bolts. In the example illustrated, the aperture  9  and monitor  10  extend a relatively small proportion e.g. one third of the total area of the vanity unit  1 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2A , the front wall  4  is also provided with an upper rectangular aperture  11 A for weight saving and a lower rectangular aperture  11 B across which is fixed, by screws, the mounting plate  18  of  FIGS. 3A and 3B , having an opening  19  for the mounting of a mixer tap unit  12  comprising a forwardly projecting water discharge spout  13  and a user-operable, multi-position rod  14  of a valve  15  to provide on, off, hot and cold positions, as required by the user. Clearly, the mirror  2  is also required to have an aperture of similar shape and dimensions to the opening  19 , so that portions of the spout  13 , valve  15  and rod  14  may project through the mirror  2 , the latter being secured by screws over the front wall  4  of the frame  3 .  
      The support frame  3  illustrated is intended to be surface mounted, and for this purpose a rear face is provided with three spaced-apart keyhole apertures  16  so that the unit  1  may be engaged over the heads of three suitably spaced screws (not shown) fixed into the bathroom etc wall, whilst cabling for both electrical power and signal to the monitor  10  is indicated at  17 , and clearly hot and cold water supplies are required to the valve  15 .  
       FIG. 2A  indicates “portrait” mounting, but a customer, or installation constraints, may require “landscape” mounting by turning the support frame  3  of  FIG. 2A  through  90 °. In this case, the tap mounting plate  18  would be screwed across portions  9 A and  9 B of the aperture  9 , rather than across portions  11 C and  11 D of aperture  11 B.