FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a modular bathroom element according to the claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known from prior art that sinks are secured directly to walls of a bathroom or a sink is provided to a sink plane, which sink plane is secured to a wall of a bathroom. In bathroom and in toilets ceramic tiles, glass plate metal sheet or other coating material is installed on a wall surface behind the sink or the sink plane for protecting the wall from splashes from the sink. Separate sinks, sink planes and protective materials of the prior art require separate securing steps and thus prolong finalizing bathroom or toilet. Furthermore, the material installed behind the sink or sink plane is often disposable, meaning that the material is typically damaged when it is removed and thus it cannot be used again.

On the other hand, from prior art it is known modular bathroom elements having walls which are ready-made in a factory and to which fixtures are secured after installing the modular bathroom element to its location or alternatively the fixtures are permanently secured such that they remain attached during transportation and installation of the modular bathroom element. Therefore, attachments are done such that removing them requires work and damages surfaces.

OBJECT OF THE INVETION

Object of the invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. Especially, object of the invention is to provide a modular bathroom element comprising a bathroom plane module which may be installed at once as a whole one-piece part and respectively removed from the bathroom without breaking it. In the context of this invention, the term bathroom is used, but the bathroom may also mean a toilet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The modular bathroom element according to the present invention is characterized by what is stated in the independent claim 1. The modular bathroom element according to the present invention comprises a floor and walls defining a bathroom space. Said walls have a wall surface towards the bathroom space. A plane module is detachable arranged to at least one wall surface of the modular bathroom element, the plane module comprises a back surface against the wall surface and a front side on the opposite side of the back surface. The front side of the plane module comprises a wall portion extending in a direction of the wall and a plane portion continuing from the wall portion and extending away from the wall. The plane portion comprises an upper surface and a front edge, said upper surface extending between the wall portion of the plane module and the front edge of the plane portion. The wall portion and the plane portion are arranged to join to each other such that a one unitary plane module is formed, the wall portion and the plane portion being manufactured from same material and are arranged to be attached as the one unitary plane module to the wall surface of the modular bathroom element and respectively arranged to be removed from the wall surface of the modular bathroom element as the one unitary plane module.

In other words, the modular bathroom element according to the present invention comprises a plane module comprising a wall portion and a plane portion and which can be attached to a wall of the modular bathroom element as a one unitary body and respectively removed from the wall of the modular bathroom element as the one unitary body. The wall portion and the plane portion join together such that wall portion continues as the plane portion after the point of interconnection, and the wall portion and the plane portion together form the plane module having a back surface. The plane portion is arranged such that an upper surface of the plane portion extends transversely in relation to the back surface of the plane module, and according to a preferred embodiment the upper surface of the plane portion extends perpendicularly in relation to the back surface of the plane module.

The plane portion of the plane module arranged in the modular bathroom element of the invention comprises at least one recess extending from the upper surface of the plane portion towards the floor of the modular bathroom element or at least one opening arranged through plane portion from the upper surface towards the floor of the modular bathroom element. For example, a sink can be attached to said opening. Alternatively, the plane portion comprises a front portion extending from the front edge towards the floor of the modular bathroom element, which the front portion comprises a front surface and at least one recess extending from the front surface of the plane portion towards the back surface of the plane module or at least one opening arranged through the front portion from the front surface towards the back surface of the plane module. Said recesses or openings may be provided in one or more plane portions of the plane module on the top surface or the front surface, or both.

According to one embodiment of the invention the plane portion of the plane module arranged in the modular bathroom element comprises at least one first recess arranged to form a sink and arranged to the plane portion such that it extends from the upper surface of the plane portion downwards inside the plane portion. The recess is provided with the necessary pipe connections or capacity to water removal and the plane portion is provided with the necessary capacity for the provision of water supply.

In the modular bathroom element according to the invention the plane module may comprise a front portion extending from the front edge of the plane portion towards the floor of the modular bathroom element, the front portion comprising a front surface. In other words, the front portion extending downwards from the upper surface, downwards meaning the direction which is from the upper surface towards the floor of the modular bathroom element when the plane module is mounted to the wall of the modular bathroom element. Said upper surface extending between the wall portion of the plane module and the front edge of the plane portion.

According to a second embodiment of the invention the plane module provided in the modular bathroom element comprises at least one second recess arranged to the plane portion such that the second recess extends from the front surface inwards towards the back surface of the plane module. In other words, the recess extends from the front surface inside the plane portion i.e. to the space under the upper surface of the plane portion. For example, a drawer may be provided in connection with said recess, wherein said recess may comprise a means for providing a drawer in the recess.

According to a third embodiment of the invention the plane module provided in the modular bathroom element comprises at least one third recess arranged to the plane portion such that the third recess extends from the upper surface of the plane portion downwards inside the plane portion and the third recess having a planar bottom surface. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention said planar bottom surface is parallel to the upper surface of the plane module. According to a fourth embodiment of the invention the plane module provided in the modular bathroom element comprises at least one first opening to which a sink is fixedly arranged.

According to an embodiment of the invention the plane module provided in the modular bathroom element comprises at least one first recess forming a sink and arranged to the plane portion such that the first recess extends from the upper surface of the plane portion downwards inside the plane portion or at least one first opening to which a sink is fixedly arranged, and at least one second recess which is arranged to the plane portion such that the second recess extends from the front surface inwards towards the back surface of the plane module or at least one opening which extends through the front portion from the front surface towards the back surface of the plane module.

According to another embodiment of the invention the plane module arranged in the modular bathroom element comprises at least one first recess forming a sink and arranged to the plane portion such that the first recess extends downwards from the upper surface of the plane portion inside the plane portion or at least one first opening to which a sink is fixedly arranged, at least one second recess arranged to the plane portion such that the second recess extends from the front surface inwards towards the back surface of the plane module or at least one opening which extends through the front portion from the front surface towards the back surface of the plane module, and at least one third recess arranged to the plane portion such that the third recess extends from the upper surface downwards inside the plane portion and which the third recess having a planar bottom surface. In this embodiment the first recess and the third recess or the first opening and the third recess are arranged adjacent to the plane portion.

The wall surface of the modular bathroom element according to the invention comprises comprises attachment members to which the plane module is preferably attached to be hanging, or the wall surface of the modular bathroom element comprises attachment members and the plane module comprises counterparts of the attachment members arranged to attach the plane module detachably to the wall surface of the modular bathroom element, or the plane module comprises attachments members and the wall surface of the modular bathroom element comprises counterparts of the attachment members arranged to attach the plane module detachably to the wall surface of the modular bathroom element. The wall portion of the plane module arranged to the modular bathroom element according to the invention extends at least 20 cm from the upper surface of the plane portion away in direction of the wall surface, or the wall portion comprises a wall surface, the wall surface being at a distance from the back surface of the plane module, said distance being at least 10 mm; or the wall portion extends at least 20 cm from the upper surface of the plane portion away in direction of the wall surface and the wall portion comprises a wall surface, the wall surface being at a distance from the back surface of the plane module, said distance being at least 10 mm.

The plane module of the modular bathroom element being made of material which is easily mouldable and/or machinable material such as composite material. The plane portion of the plane module having a thickness of at least 10mm downwards from the upper surface of the plane portion to the bottom surface of the plane portion. The wall portion and the plane portion of the plane module are joined to each other preferably by gluing or other adhesive means such that when viewed from the front side of the plane module the connection point between the wall portion and the plane portion is seamless.

An advantage of the modular bathroom element according to the invention is that already at the manufacturing stage the mounting points can be made to the modular bathroom element for mounting the plane module and the plane module can be mounted as a one single piece to the wall of the modular bathroom element and removed accordingly without damaging the wall surface. This allows that the plane module can be replaced to a new plane module in the modular bathroom element if necessary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in detail by means of specific embodiments with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a modular bathroom element according to the invention;

Figures 2a and 2b show a plane module of the modular bathroom element according to the invention;

Figures 3a, 3b and 3c show a second plane module of the modular bathroom element as seen from front, top and side;

Figures 4a and 4b show a third plane module of the modular bathroom element as seen from front and top; Figures 5a and 5b show a fourth plane module of the modular bathroom element as seen from front and top;

Figure 6 shows a fifth plane module of the modular bathroom element; and

Figures 7a and 7b shows a sixth plane module of the modular bathroom element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a modular bathroom element 100 according to the invention which comprises a floor 101 and walls 102 defining a bathroom space. Said walls 102 having a wall surface 103 towards the bathroom space. A plane module 1 is detachable arranged to at least one wall surface 103 of the modular bathroom element 100, which said plane module 1 comprising a back surface 2 against the wall surface 103 and a frontside on the opposite side of the back surface 2. The front side of the plane module 1 comprising a wall portion 3 extending in a direction of the wall 102 and a plane portion 4 extending from the wall portion 3 and extending away from the wall. The plane portion 4 comprises an upper surface 5 and a front edge 7a, which said upper surface 5 extending between the wall portion 3 of the plane module 1 and the front edge 7a of the plane portion 4. The wall portion 3 and the plane portion 4 are arranged to join to each other forming one unitary plane module 1. The wall portion 3 and the plane portion 4 are made of the same material and are arranged to be attached as the one unitary plane module 1 to the wall surface 103 of the modular bathroom element 100 and respectively arranged to be removed as the one unitary plane module 1 from the wall surface 103 of the modular bathroom element 100. In its simplest form, the plane module 1 thus comprises the wall portion 3 extending parallel to the wall and a plane portion 4 extending away from the wall, which both are planar parts of the plane module 1.

Figure 2a shows an exemplary embodiment a plane module 1 of a modular bathroom element 100 according to the invention, in which the plane module 1 comprises a back surface 2 which is arranged against the wall of the modular bathroom element 100 when mounting the plane module 1 to the wall 102 of the modular bathroom element 100. The plane module 1 comprises a wall portion 3 and a plane portion 4 on the front side which is on the opposite side of the back surface 2, which the wall portion 3 and the plane portion 4 are interconnected together forming a one unitary entity. The wall portion 3 of the plane module 1 extending in the direction of the wall 102 of the modular bathroom element 100 forming a wall surface 3a of the plane module 1 which is substantially parallel to the wall and the plane portion 4 of the plane module 1 extending in a transverse direction to the wall portion 3 forming an upper surface 5 of the plane module 1 which is transverse to the back surface 2 of the plane module 1. In other words, the plane module 1 having a wall portion 3 and a plane portion 4 and a wall surface 3a formed by the wall portion 3 and an upper surface 5 formed by the plane portion 4, which the upper surface forms a plane surface. In this exemplary plane module 1 the plane portion 4 comprises also a front portion 7b having a front surface 7. The front portion 7b extending from the front edge 7a of the plane portion downwards towards the floor 101 of the modular bathroom element 100, advantageously parallel to the wall surface 3a of the plane module 1. In other words, the front portion 7b having a front surface 7 extends from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 to the opposite direction than the wall portion 3. The front portion 7b of the plane portion 4 extending advantageously at least 2 cm away from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4, meaning that when the plane portion is plate-like, the end surface of the plate forming the front surface 7 of the plane portion 4. The upper surface of the plane portion 4 extending between the wall portion 3 and the front edge 7a.

The plane module 1 comprises the wall portion 3 and the plane portion 4, which can be made of the same material, but additional or adaptable parts made of different materials, such as parts for drainage and water connection, sink parts, rails for example for one or more drawers or one or more sockets can be inserted to the plane module 1. The additional or adaptable parts may be inserted or attached anywhere in the plane module 1.

Figures 2a and 2b show that the wall portion 3 comprises a wall surface 3a and an end surface 3b extending between the back surface 2 and the wall surface 3a of the plane module 1, the end surface defining the thickness of the wall portion 3 away from the wall 102 of the modular bathroom element 100. The end surface 3b can be seen in more detail in figure 2b which shows the plane module 1 as seen from side. Although the back surface 2 of the plane module 1 is illustrated totally straight in the figures, the back surface 2 of the plane module 1 can comprise attachment members or the counterparts of the attachment members for mounting the plane module 1 to the wall of the modular bathroom element. The attachment members or the counterparts of the attachment members can be for example notches and/or projections and/or brackets or other suitable attachment members or counterparts of the attachment members.

The plane portion 4 comprises an upper surface 5 which is transverse to the back surface 2 of the plane module 1. According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 of the plane module 1 to be provided to the modular bathroom element 100 is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the back surface 2 of the plane module 1. The plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element 100 according to the invention may be manufactured by various methods, whereby the angle between the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 and the wall surface 3a of the wall portion 3 may vary according to the manufacturing method. The plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element 100 according to the invention can be manufactured, for example, by moulding as one piece so that the transition from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 to the wall surface 3a of the plane module is made in stages such that there will not be a sharp 90° angle which is not easy to keep clean. The plane module 1 can also be manufactured as a multi-part piece, whereby the parts are joined together in an adhesive manner. In this case, the angles between parts can be exactly as desired and, for example, a 90° angle between the wall portion and the plane portion is also possible. In the example shown in figure 2a, the plane portion 4 has a single recess or opening 8 which alone or in combination with the sink portion forms a sink. This sink is presented as round but can of course be of any shape or size. The recess 8 extends downwardly from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 towards the floor of the modular bathroom element and, in the case of the opening, extends through the plane portion 4 from the upper surface 5 down toward the floor of the modular bathroom element. The plane portion 4 comprises a bottom surface 6, which is the surface of the plane portion 4 which faces towards the floor of the modular bathroom element when the plane module 1 is mounted on the wall of the modular bathroom element. The bottom surface 6 of the plane portion 4 may consist of an end of the front portion 7b of the plane portion 4 transverse to the front surface 7 and facing toward the floor of the modular bathroom element when the plane module 1 is mounted on the wall and of the surface opposite to upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 facing toward the floor, which is on a different level than the end of the front portion 7b. Alternatively, the bottom surface 6 of the plane portion 4 may consist of a planar surface extending between the back surface 2 of the plane module 1 and the front portion 7b of the plane portion 4 as a uniform or non- uniform surface. Figures 2a and 2b show that the plane module 1 comprises in this exemplary embodiment of the invention at least the following surfaces: the end surface 3b of the wall portion 3, which defines the thickness of the wall portion 3; the wall surface 3a of the wall portion 3; the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4, the front surface 7 of the plane portion 1, the bottom surface 6 of the plane portion 1 and the back surface 2 of the plane module 1. Naturally, the surfaces may have openings, grooves, cavities or projections. The bottom surface 6 of the plane portion may also be formed at least partially from the opposite surface of the bottom forming surface of the recess 8, 10 extending downwardly from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4.

Figures 3a, 3b and 3c show another plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element as seen from front and top. The plane module 1 of figures 3a to 3c comprises a wall portion 3 and a plane portion 4 in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in figures 2a and 2b. In the embodiment of the plane module 1 according to figure 3a, the height of the wall portion 3, i.e. the dimension in the direction of the wall of the modular bathroom element upwards from the plane portion 4 when the plane module 1 mounted to the wall of the modular bathroom element is greater than the height of the front portion 7b of the plane portion 4. However, this is only one example of the plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element according to the invention and the dimensions can be reversed meaning that the front portion 7b extends further away from the front edge 7a of the plane portion 4 than the wall portion 3 extending from the plane portion 4 on the opposite direction. However, it should be noted that the wall portion 3 of the plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element of the invention extends at least 20 cm away from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4. In the exemplary plane module 1 of figures 3a to 3c, the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 comprises a recess 8 and a plane portion.

Figures 3a and 3c show also another embodiment of the bottom surface 6 of the plane portion 4 of the plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element, which the bottom surface is formed of the bottom end of the front portion 7b, the opposite surface of the upper surface 5 of the plane portion facing the floor and the opposite surface of the bottom surface of the recess 8. Also, in this exemplary embodiment the plane portion 4 does not comprise a portion facing the wall extending downwardly from the plane portion 4 in the direction of the wall, but the plane module 1 continues as a wall portion 3 as the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 meets the wall surface 3a as can be seen from the figure 2c. Thus, the plane portion 4 in this exemplary embodiment does not have any back surface parallel to or similar to the front surface 7. In its simplest form, the plane module 1 can also comprise only a wall portion 3 in the direction of the wall and a plane portion 4 transverse to the wall portion 3 without any front portion 7b.

Figures 4a and 4b show an embodiment of a plane module 1 arranged in the modular bathroom element according to the invention wherein the plane portion 4 comprises two recesses or a recess and an opening: a first recess 8 extending downwardly from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 into the the plane portion 4 and a second recess 9 extending from the front surface 7 of the plane portion into the plane portion 4 towards the back surface 2 of the plane module 1 or a first opening 8 extending through the plane portion 4 from the upper surface 5 towards the floor of the modular bathroom element and a second recess 9 extending from the front surface 7 of the plane portion into the plane portion 4 towards the back surface 2 of the plane module 1. Figure 4a shows a plane module

1 provided in the modular bathroom element as seen from front, showing the second recess 9 which in this example is shown as a regular rectangular recess extending from the front surface 7 of the plane portion 4 towards the back surface

2 of the plane module 1. However, the second recess 9 of the plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element according to the invention is not limited to the shape shown in the figure but may also be of different shape according to its purpose. For example, rails or grooves for a drawer may be provided in the recess 9. The bottom of the recess 9 may be solid, whereby the opposite side of the bottom facing the floor forms the bottom surface 6 of the plane portion 4. Such an embodiment is shown in figure 4a. Alternatively, the recess 9 may be at least partially open toward the floor, particularly if a separate drawer is provided into the recess 9 which slides in the recess 9 and whose outer surface facing the floor forms part of the bottom surface 6 of the plane portion 4. This kind of embodiment is now shown in figure 3a, i.e. the second recess 9 provided in the plane portion 4 is formed from the front surface 7 of the plane portion 4 towards the back surface 2 of the plane module 1 and such that the roof of the recess 9 is formed by a portion between the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 and the second recess 9. Thus, for the second recess 9, the bottom surface 6 of the plane portion 4 is formed at least partly by the roof of the second recess 9 or the bottom of the drawer if a drawer is provided in the recess 9. Figure 4b shows how the wall portion 3 has a thickness extending from the back wall 2 of the plane module 1 to the wall surface 3a of the wall portion 3. Figures 5a and 5b show an exemplary embodiment of a plane module 1 provided in a modular bathroom element according to the invention, wherein the plane module 1 comprises a first recess 8, two second recesses 9 and a third recess 10. Figure 5a shows that plane module 1 has a front surface 7 of the plane portion 4 from which the two second recesses 9 extend inwardly towards the back surface 2 of the plane module 1. The wall surface 3a of the plane module 1 extends away from the plane portion 4 in the direction of the wall and forms the back surface of the plane portion 4. Figure 5b shows how the first recess 8 and the third recess 10 are arranged side by side to the plane portion 4. In this exemplary embodiment the third recess is arranged to extend from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 towards the bottom surface 6 and extend from the front surface 7 of the plane portion 4 to the wall portion 3 of the plane module 1. As shown in figure 5a, the third recess 10 in this embodiment is flat, forming, for example, a suitable platform for the childcare.

Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a plane module 1 provided in a modular bathroom element according to the invention, wherein plane module 1 has two first recesses or openings 8 which alone or together with the sink portion form adjacent sinks to the plane module 1. The exemplary embodiment of the plane module 1 shown in figure 6 shows a different side portion as compared to the embodiment shown in figure 3c, in which the plane portion 4 comprises a back surface provided against the wall forming part of the back surface of the plane module 1. In the embodiment shown in figure 6, the side surfaces 11 of the plane portion 4 consist of the ends of the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4, the ends of the front surface 6 and the back surface 2 of the plane module 1 with respect to the plane portion 4. The embodiment of the plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element according to the invention shown in figure 6 comprises a different embodiment from the wall portion 3 as compared to the plane module 1 shown in figure 3 such that the wall portion 3 continues in this embodiment downwards from the upper surface 5 of the plane portion 4 forming part of the end of the plane portion 4. Alternatively, the wall portion 3 may terminate to the plane portion 4 as shown in figure 3c.

Figures 7a and 7b show an embodiment of a plane module 1 arranged in a modular bathroom element according to the invention, wherein the plane module 1 comprises one third recess 10 intended, for example, for a childcare platform for a child or for another planar element. The plane module 1 provided in the modular bathroom element of the invention may comprise side surfaces 11 of the plane portion 4 extending between the front surface 7 of the plane portion 4 and the back wall 2 of the plane module 1 or a distance between the front surface 7 of the plane portion 4 and the back wall 2 of the plane module 1. According to figures 7a and 7b, the plane module 1 may be closed with respect to the plane portion 4 such that the bottom surface 6 of the plane portion 4 is formed by the bounding region of the side surfaces 11, the front surface 6 and the back wall 2 of the plane module 1 or alternatively the bottom surface of the plane portion 1 may be formed of the surface of the front surface 6 facing toward the floor and/or surfaces of the side surfaces 11 facing toward the floor and/or the surface of the opposite side of the upper surface 5 facing toward the floor.

The invention has been described above with reference to the examples shown in the figures. However, the invention is in no way restricted to the above examples but may vary within the scope of the claims.