Abstract:
The invention relates to a system of a support element and at least two functional elements which can be used in the sanitary sector, with the support element being able to be coupled to each of the functional elements via a system interface and the system interface having a spigot-shaped element—at the support element side—with an outwardly biased latch element projecting out of said spigot-shaped element transversely to its longitudinal axis and the functional elements each having a tubular element corresponding to the spigot-shaped element and having a cut-out for the latch element.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a system consisting of a support element and at least two functional elements which can be used in the sanitary sector. 
   The functional elements can, for example, be hooks, toilet roll holders, soap dishes, handles, holder elements or similar elements which are fastened to a wall surface extending vertically as a rule in the sanitary sector. Functional elements of this type have previously frequently simply been directly screwed in a wall with dowels. However, support elements which are screwed in a wall are also known which belong to a specific functional element matched to the respective support element and to which then the respectively matching functional element can be fastened. It is a disadvantage of a fastening of this type that, if a functional element is to be replaced by another one, as a rule the support element fixedly anchored in the wall also has to be replaced. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fastening system for functional elements usable in the sanitary sector which allows different functional elements to be fastened to a surface in as simple and nevertheless as stable a manner as possible so that they can be replaced by other functional elements without any great effort. 
   This object is satisfied in accordance with the invention by the features disclosed herein and in particular in that a system is provided consisting of a support element and at least two functional elements which can be used in the sanitary section and which can each be coupled to the support element. 
   The support element in accordance with the invention can be coupled to each of the functional elements via a uniform system interface, with this system interface having, at the support element side, a spigot-shaped element with an outwardly biased latch element projecting from it transversely to its longitudinal axis. The functional elements in turn each have a tubular element which corresponds to the spigot-shaped element and has a recess for the latch element. 
   Each functional element can therefore be pushed with its tubular element onto the spigot-shaped element, with the latch element projecting from the spigot-shaped element then latching into the recess in the tubular element provided for this purpose. In this manner, the functional element is secured both against rotation and against a pulling off from the support element. The tubular element with its recess provided therein is easy to realize and can be provided without any great difficulties at almost all functional elements to be used in the sanitary sector. On the building and fitting of a bathroom, for example, support elements in accordance with the invention can now already be provided at different positions by the contractor and a resident can later mount different functional elements of his choice on them. 
   In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spigot-shaped element has at least one guide web which extends parallel to its longitudinal axis and converges in the direction of the functional element. Cut-outs which correspond thereto, which converge in the direction of the functional element and which extend parallel to its longitudinal axis, can then in turn be provided in the tubular element. When a functional element is pushed onto the support element, the guide web slides into the corresponding cut-out and the pushing on or the alignment of the functional element with respect to the support element is facilitated by the converging form. When the functional element is coupled to the support element, a guide web of this type then serves as an additional security against rotation in addition to the latching element. 
   In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, two converging guide webs of this type are provided at two oppositely disposed sides of the spigot-shaped element and then cooperate with two corresponding cut-outs in the tubular element. An optimum security against rotation is achieved by two oppositely disposed guide webs. 
   The support element can, for example, have a circular base surface at whose center the spigot-shaped element is seated. The spigot-shaped element itself can, for example, be cylindrical or also have any other cross-section desired. A circular base surface for the support element is to be preferred both for visual reasons and for technical production reasons; however, other embodiments are also feasible. 
   In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a base element is provided which can be fastened to a wall and to which the support element can be fastened or is fastened. A base element of this type can, for example, be a shield or a cover plate which has a screen and which is screwed tight to the wall. Fastening points provided, for example, at the wall for a supporting folding handle can be masked by a plate-like or shield-like base element of this kind when this handle is not intended to be used, or fitting holes left from previous installations can be masked. In addition to unused fastening points of this type, used fastening points can also be masked by a screen of this type: A shield-like wall plate can, for example, thus be provided which has a cut-out for a support element at one end and at whose other end a fastening point is provided for the screwing of a supporting folding handle or of a towel rack. Greater forces are introduced into the base element via supporting folding handles or towel racks than via the functional elements in accordance with the invention so that the system interface in accordance with the invention itself is not necessarily suitable to serve as a fastening for supporting folding handles or towel racks. 
   Base elements are also conceivable to which a plurality of support elements in accordance with the invention can be fastened at the same time. 
   The base element can have a cut-out into which the support element can be inserted for the fastening of the support element. If the support element has a circular base surface, a circular cut-out can accordingly, for example, be provided at the base element. The support element can be screwed to the base element from the rear while seated in the cut-out and can no longer slip due to the fit in the cut-out. A design of this type allows a particularly unobtrusive and stable fastening of the support element to the base element. 
   The front surface of the spigot-shaped element facing in the direction of the functional element preferably lies in a plane with the front surface of the base element facing in the direction of the functional element. The support element is therefore countersunk in the cut-out of the base element so that it does not project out of it, which improves the visual impression both with a mounted functional element and with no functional element mounted. In addition, a substantially planar surface is obtained in this manner even if no functional element is fastened to the support element so that injuries due to projecting parts of the support element are avoided. 
   If, as described above, the support element is inserted into a cut-out in a base element, it can have a toothed arrangement at its rear side which is made in a complementary manner to a corresponding toothed arrangement in the cut-out in the base element. The support element is thus additionally secured against rotation with respect to the base element. 
   The outward biasing of the latch element can be obtained, for example, with the help of a spring supported in the spigot-shaped element. The latch element can then easily be pressed against its bias in the direction of the axis of the spigot-shaped element so that a functional element can be pushed onto the spigot-like element in order then to latch into the recess provided in the tubular element for this purpose. 
   An opening accessible from the outside can be provided in the functional element and the latch element can be pressed radially inwardly through it against its bias by means of a tool to release the coupling of the functional element to the support element when the functional element is coupled to the support element. The latching of the support element to the functional element can, for example, thus be released with the help of a simple pin or screwdriver so that the functional element can be removed and, where desired, replaced by another. 
   The invention will be described in more detail in the following with reference to preferred embodiments and to the attached drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of a support element; 
       FIG. 2  is a section along the axis A-A through the support element of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a further support element; 
       FIG. 3B  is a plan view of the rear side of the support element of  FIG. 3A ; 
       FIG. 3C  is a side view of the support element of  FIGS. 3A and 3B ; 
       FIG. 4  is the support element of  FIGS. 3A-C  with a base element and a functional element to be fastened to the support element; and 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective representation of a further base element with two cut-outs for support elements and a support element to be fastened thereto. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  shows a plan view from the front of a support element  10  in accordance with the invention with a circular base surface  20 . A spigot-shaped element  12  which projects out of the plane of the drawing and has a substantially square cross-section with slightly arched outer sides is seated at the center of the circular base surface  20  of the support element  10 . 
   A latch element  14  made as a cylindrical pin can be seen at the side of the spigot-shaped element  12  at the bottom in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and projects out of this element. As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the latch element  14  is held or fixed in the spigot-shaped element  12  by means of a plastic sleeve and is supported at a spring centering location  15  in the interior region of the spigot-shaped element  12  by a spring  16 , with the spring  16  being seated in a bore  17  of the latch element  14  and extending from this bore  17  up to and approximately into the center of the spigot-shaped element  12 . When the spring is compressed, the latch element  14  is countersunk in the spigot-shaped element  12  until it abuts an abutment surface  13  provided for this purpose with the annular surface bounding the end of the bore  17 . In the position countersunk up to the abutment surface  13 , it no longer only projects from the spigot-shaped element  12 , but it projects from the spigot-shaped element  12  when the spring  16  is relaxed and can thus latch into a corresponding cut-out in a tubular element of a functional element. 
   In  FIG. 1 , two guide webs  18  are furthermore shown which extend perpendicular to the plane of the drawing at oppositely disposed sides of the spigot-shaped element  12 . These guide webs  18  converge toward the front in the direction of a functional element to be pushed on so that the pushing on of the functional element is facilitated which has cut-outs corresponding to the guide webs  18  in its tubular element. When the functional element is coupled to the support element  10 , the guide webs  18  form an additional security against rotation. 
   In  FIG. 2 , in addition, two of four bores  22  are visible which are provided in circular form in the rear side of the support element  10 . The bores  22  serve for the screwing of the support element  10  directly to a wall or to a base element as will be explained later. 
     FIGS. 3A to 3C  show different views of another embodiment of a support element  10  in accordance with the invention. In  FIG. 3A , the support element  10  is shown in a perspective manner and a circular base surface  20  can be seen on which a cylindrical body  21  is seated at whose center the spigot-shaped element  12  is in turn located. 
   The spigot-shaped element  12  also has a substantially square cross-section with slightly arched outer sides, with two guide webs  18  being disposed at the outer side, which converge in the direction of a functional element and of which, however, only one can be see in the Figures. A quadrangular opening  24  is applied at the surface at the center of the spigot-shaped element  12 . At the outer side of the spigot-shaped element  12  adjacent to the guide web  18 , the latch element  14  can be seen in  FIG. 3C  which projects out of the spigot-shaped element  12  at the side (downwardly with a mounted support element  10 ) and has a cylindrical shape with a rounded end face. 
   The lower side of the support element  10  is provided with a star-shaped toothed arrangement  26  which is shown more precisely again in a plan view in  FIG. 3B . This toothed arrangement  26  can, as shown in  FIG. 5 , cooperate with a corresponding toothed arrangement  27  in a cut-out  28  of a base element  30  whose shape corresponds to the shape of the base surface  20  of the support element  10  when the support element  10  is inserted into a cut-out  28  of this type and can thus form a security against rotation. 
   In  FIG. 4 , the support element  10  from  FIGS. 3A to 3C  is now inserted into a circular base element  30  or is made in one piece with the base element  30 . The base element  30  can be screwed firmly to a wall and has a circular base surface at whose center a likewise circular cut-out  28  for the support element  10  is provided whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the base surface  20  of the support element  10 . The latch element  14  is not visible in  FIG. 4  since it lies at the lower side of the spigot-shaped element  12 ; however, the guide web  18  can be seen on the left-hand side of the spigot-shaped element  12 . 
   In addition, a functional element  40  is shown in  FIG. 4  which can be pushed onto the support element  10 . The functional element  40  is a double hook which has a tubular element  42  with which it is mounted onto the support element  10 . The inner cross-section of the tubular element  42  corresponds to the outer cross-section of the spigot-shaped element  12 , with two cut-outs also being provided which are not visible in the Figure and which correspond to the guide webs  18 . In addition, a cut-out (again not visible in the Figure) for the latch element  14  is formed at the lower side of the tubular element  42 . 
   To push on the functional element  40 , the latch element  14  is depressed against its bias transversely to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the spigot-shaped element and then latches into the recess in the tubular element  42 . In the latched state, the support element  10  is firmly coupled to the functional element  40  so that the functional element  40  is secured against rotation and against being pulled out. The support element  10  is completely invisible in this coupled state and the tubular element  42  of the functional element  40  is seated in a shaped matched manner in the cut-out  28  of the base element  30 . 
     FIG. 5  likewise shows the support element  10  of  FIGS. 3A  to C and of  FIG. 4 , but this time with a different base element  30 . The base element  30  is an elongate shield which can be screwed to a wall and which has two cut-outs  28  for support elements  10 . The two circular cut-outs  28  are provided at the front side at the end regions of the shield  30  remote from one another and each have a toothed arrangement  27  which cooperates with the toothed arrangement  26  at the rear of the support element  10 . Unused fastening points can, for example, be masked behind the shield  30 . The screw  32  serves for the screwing of the support element  10  in the cut-out  28 . 
   Instead of the double hook shown in  FIG. 4 , any desired other functional elements usable in the sanitary sector can be combined with the support element  10  in accordance with the invention. For example, paper holders, soap dishes, toothbrush holders, handles and hooks, cosmetic holders and similar are thus feasible so that a plurality of combination possibilities are created with different conceivable base elements.