Patent Publication Number: US-6212707-B1

Title: Bowed front bathroom vanity system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES 
     There are no applications related to this application filed in this or any foreign country. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is well-known that the materials used to construct a bathroom vanity, i.e. the supporting and enclosing structure within which the sink and associated water and drain pipes are carried, can add considerably to the appearance of the final construction. In particular, where stone and similar synthetic materials are used, the appearance of the bathroom vanity can be substantially upgraded from the more typical use of lower quality materials. 
     Unfortunately, the use of stone has presented some substantial challenges to the construction industry. Most of the challenge relates to difficulty in aligning, fastening, and supporting material that is not, except for appearance, particularly well-suited for the application. In short, stone and similar stone materials are not materials that are well adapted for use in construction, but which are in high demand by consumers due to the end appearance of the construction. 
     Construction problems are magnified when stone is to be used to form a vertically oriented apron carried below the vanity surface, particularly where the apron is not flat or planar. Such stone may be desirable in conforming to the curved or bowed front of a bathroom vanity. However, the support of curved material presents additional challenges in aligning, supporting and fastening the material to the supporting vanity. 
     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a bowed front bathroom vanity system that allows for the alignment, support and fastening of difficult to use materials, such as stone, even in applications where the stone used to form an apron carried below the vanity surface is not planar, and assumes a bowed configuration. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is directed to an apparatus that satisfies the above needs. A novel bowed front bathroom vanity system is disclosed that is adapted to aligning, supporting and fastening a curved or bowed piece of stone or similar difficult to use material, particularly where a bowed piece of stone is to be supported as an apron with the long edge oriented vertically on the front of the vanity. 
     The bowed front bathroom vanity system  10  of the present invention is typically mounted on a frame  100 , which is in turn supported by opposed sides and an adjacent rear wall surface. A preferred frame includes a back frame element  110  connecting the rear end portions of the left and right side frame elements  120 . A preferred version of the bowed front bathroom vanity system provides some or all of the following structures. 
     (A) A support substrate  20  is supported by the frame  100 . A preferred plywood support substrate includes a bowed front and defines holes for the sink  200  and plumbing to the faucet fixtures. 
     (B) A bowed front apron support bracket  30  is carried by the recessed front edge of the plywood support substrate and by the front ends of the side frame elements. The bowed front apron support includes horizontally oriented upper and lower rails connected by vertically oriented support stanchions. 
     (C) A bowed front apron  50  is supported by the bowed front apron support bracket  30 , and provides an aesthetic appearance. 
     (D) A pair of apron wings  60  are carried by the support bracket  30 , on either side of the bowed front apron. 
     (E) A vanity surface  70  is carried on top of the support substrate, providing an aesthetic appearance. 
     (F) A back splash  80  and opposed side splashes  90  are supported by the upper surface of the vanity surface. 
     It is therefore a primary advantage of the present invention to provide a novel bowed front bathroom vanity system that provides a higher quality, more durable and more aesthetically appearing vanity than is possible with previous technology. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a novel bowed front bathroom vanity system that is more rapidly constructed than is possible with conventional construction technology. 
     A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a novel bowed front bathroom vanity system that is less expensively constructed than is possible with previous technology. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a version of the invention, exploded for purposes of illustration. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the version of the invention of FIG. 1 in an assembled form. 
     FIG. 3 is a thin sectional view, taken along the  2 — 2  lines of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fastening structure used to attach an apron wing to the bowed front apron support bracket, including wires positioned to wrap about the vertical stanchions. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apron wing of FIG. 4 attached to the apron support bracket. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fastening structure used to attach an apron wing to the bowed front apron support bracket, including bolts positioned for attachment to the vertical stanchions. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the apron wing of FIG. 6 attached to the apron support bracket. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Referring in generally to FIGS. 1 through 7, bowed front bathroom vanity system  10  constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention is seen. A preferred version of the bowed front bathroom vanity system is supported by a frame  100  having a back and two side elements. A support substrate  20  is supported by the three frame elements, and defines a hole for the sink and plumbing connections. A bowed front apron support bracket  30  provides upper and lower rails connected by a plurality of support stanchions. The upper rail is carried by a recessed front edge defined on the plywood support substrate. A bowed front apron  50  and left and right apron wings  60 , are typically made of stone or similar material, and are carried by the bowed front apron support bracket. A vanity surface  70  is carried by the upper surface of the support substrate  20 , and a back splash  80  and opposed side splashes  90  are carried by the vanity surface. 
     As seen particularly in the exploded view of FIG. 1, the frame  100  supports the bowed front bathroom vanity system  10 , and is typically constructed prior to installation of the vanity system. In most construction applications, the frame in turn is supported by the bathroom wall, and is made of finished 2″ by 6″ lumber having lengths appropriate to the bathroom into which the vanity system is to be installed. The exact dimensions of the frame, and materials used in its construction should be selected to fit the floor plan and construction of the application. 
     A preferred frame  100  comprises a back frame element  110  and two side frame elements  120 . The length of the back frame element is typically the width of the support substrate  20 , while the length of the side frame elements are approximately the depth of the support substrate. 
     As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower edge  121  and front end  122  of the side frame elements  120  form a notch  123  which is sized to accept the horizontal iron  37  of the lower rail  36  of the bowed front apron support bracket  30 . 
     A support substrate  20  is carried by the frame  100 . In a preferred application, the support substrate is made of plywood, but in an alternate application any suitable building material could be substituted, including various pressed boards, synthetic materials, plastics and resins and other materials. A preferred plywood support substrate includes a bowed front  21  and defines at least one opening  22  for a sink  200  and plumbing to the faucet fixtures. As seen in the sectional view of FIG. 3, the sink is carried adjacent to the lower surface  23  of the support substrate  20 , and is attached by conventional fasteners (not shown for clarity). As seen particularly in FIGS. 1 and 3, the upper surface  24  of the support substrate  20  supports the vanity surface  70 . 
     As seen in FIG. 1, the support substrate defines a recessed front edge  25 . The depth of the recession is calculated to be sufficiently deep to contain the horizontal iron  34  of the upper rail  33  flush with the upper surface  24 , thereby forming a smooth upper surface against which the vanity surface  70  is carried. 
     Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, a plurality of L-shaped notches  26  are defined in the recessed front edge  25 . Each L-shaped notch is incrementally larger than an associated also generally L-shaped support stanchion  39 , allowing each L-shaped support stanchion to be inserted into one of the L-shaped notches. 
     An alternative support substrate  20  would define no opening  22  for a sink and no opening for plumbing to faucet fixtures. Such a support substrate would be adapted for use in a dressing table application, where a sink was not required. 
     Referring particularly to FIGS.  1  and  4 - 7 , the bowed front apron support bracket  30  can be seen. A bowed front section  31  of the apron support bracket  30  supports the apron  50 , while straight side wing sections  32  support apron wings  60  in a rigid and secure manner. As seen in the exploded view of FIG. 1, the apron support bracket  30  is carried by the recessed front edge of the plywood support substrate, and as seen in FIG. 2, by the front ends of the side frame elements  120 . 
     The apron support  30  includes a horizontally oriented upper rail  33  and a similar horizontally oriented lower rail  36 . As seen in FIGS. 4-7, a preferred version of the upper rail is made of angle iron, having a horizontal iron component  34  and a vertical iron component  35 . Similarly, the lower rail includes a horizontal iron component  37  and a vertical iron component  38 . 
     The upper and lower rails are connected by vertically oriented support stanchions  39 . In a preferred embodiment, the support stanchions are made of angle iron, having first and second iron portions  40 ,  41 . The iron portions are oriented in an L-shaped configuration, and are sized to fit within the L-shaped notches  26  defined in the support substrate  20 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 1,  3 ,  4 - 7 , a plurality of safety tabs  42  are carried by the lower surface of the horizontal iron  37  of the lower rail  36 . The safety tabs are sized to support the bottom edge  53  of the bowed front apron  50  and the bottom edge  63  of the left and right apron wings  60 . In a typical application, the safety tabs are welded to the lower rail, but could alternatively be attached by other fasteners, such as bolts or rivets. 
     As seen in FIGS. 1-3, a bowed front apron  50  is supported by the bowed front apron support bracket  30 . The bowed front apron enhances the aesthetics of the bowed front vanity system  10 . In particular, the curvature of the gently curved or bowed front surface  51  tends to enhance the appearance of the entire vanity  10 . 
     A top edge  52  of the bowed front apron  50  is carried adjacent to the lower surface  76  of the vanity surface  70 . The bottom edge  53  is supported by a plurality of safety tabs  42 . 
     As seen in FIGS.  1  and  4 - 7 , left and right apron wings  60  are carried by the bowed front support bracket  30 , on either side of the bowed front apron  50 . The apron wings enhance the aesthetics of the bowed front vanity system  10 . In particular, the symmetry achieved by bracketing the bowed front apron  50  between the planar left and right aesthetic front surfaces  61  tends to enhance the appearance of the entire vanity  10 . 
     Top edges  62  of the apron wings  60  are carried adjacent to the lower surface  76  of the vanity surface  70 . The bottom edges  63  are supported on a plurality of safety tabs  42 . 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bowed front apron and left and right apron wings  60  are made of marble, stone or similar material, but alternatively, they could be made of any material suitable for use in the construction of a bathroom vanity. 
     The back surfaces  54 ,  64  of the bowed front apron  50  and the apron wings  60  are attached to the bowed front apron support bracket  30  by suitable fastening means. The fastening means, combined with the support given to the bottom edges  53 ,  63  of the bowed front apron and the apron wings by the safety tabs  42 , result in a secure connection between the bowed front apron support bracket  30  and the bowed front apron  50  and apron wings  60 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-7, two preferred versions of the fasteners used to attach the bowed front apron  50  and apron wings  60  to the bowed front apron support bracket  30  are seen. Alternative fastening means could be substituted, where appropriate. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, a horizontal groove  65  defined in the an apron wing or the bowed front apron is incrementally wider than the diameter of wires  66 . The wires are held within the groove in part by friction. Additionally, glue, adhesive or cement-type compounds may be used within the groove to provide a secure connection between the wires  66  and the sidewalls of the groove  65 . 
     As seen in FIG. 5, wires  66  may be wrapped about each vertical support stanchion  39 , thereby securing the apron or apron wing to the support bracket  30 . 
     Alternatively, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, a bolt  67  is carried by the back surface of the bowed front apron or the back surface of the apron wings. The head of the bolt is typically inserted into a hole defined in the back surface  54 ,  64  and cemented in place with adhesive. A bolt hole defined in the second iron  41  of each support stanchion  39  allows the bowed front apron or apron wing to be attached to the support bracket  30 , and secure in place with a nut  68 . 
     In a still further alternative, glue or adhesive only may be used to attach the bowed front apron or apron wing to be attached to the support bracket. 
     As seen in FIGS. 1-3, a vanity surface  70  is carried on top of the support substrate  20 , providing an aesthetic appearance to the upper portion of the vanity system  10 . A preferred vanity surface is typically made of the same or similar material used to make the bowed front apron and apron wings. As seen in FIG. 1, a bowed front edge  71  is curved in a manner similar to the curvature of the bowed front apron. Edges  72  are typically straight, and are of a length similar to the width of the apron wings  60 . A hole  73  defined in the vanity surface is sized for the sink or basin  200 , while holes  74  allow insertion of the plumbing necessary for the faucet and water supply. 
     In a dressing table application, no holes would be defined for a sink or associated plumbing fixtures. 
     Continuing to refer to FIGS. 1-3, a back splash  80  and opposed side splashes  90  are supported by the upper surface  75  of the vanity surface. The back splash and side splashes are generally made of the same material as the vanity surface, and may be constructed in an integral manner, so that the vanity surface, back splash and side splashes are formed as one piece. 
     The previously described versions of the present invention have many advantages, including a primary advantage of providing a novel bowed front bathroom vanity system that provides a higher quality, more durable and more aesthetically appearing vanity than is possible with previous technology. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a novel bowed front bathroom vanity system that is more rapidly constructed than is possible with conventional construction technology. 
     A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a novel bowed front bathroom vanity system that is less expensively constructed than is possible with previous technology. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail and with reference to certain preferred versions, other versions are possible. For example, while in a preferred embodiment, the upper and lower rails and vertical stanchion are made of angle irons, an alternative material could be substituted. Also, while two preferred fastening structures, including wires  66  and bolts  67 , have been disclosed, alternative fastening structures could be substituted. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions disclosed. 
     In compliance with the U.S. Patent Laws, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to methodical features. The invention is not, however, limited to the specific features described, since the means herein disclosed comprise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.