SINK CLIP

Technical Field

Present invention relates to clips providing connection of sinks to countertops.

The invention particularly relates to a novel sink clip which connects granite, composite kitchen sinks to countertops, and provides screw joint inside ends and expansion bolt wise end, and between lower part and upper part, and introduces many advantages.

Description of State of the Art

The kitchen sinks are the sinks used in kitchens of houses and restaurants for dishwashing, and made of waterproof material such as ceramic, stainless steel, natural stone, and used as a dishwashing pool by closing sink drain when required.

Sink attachment elements are used for connecting sinks to countertops. There are 2 different type clips available on the market. First clip has two slotted expansion bolts and plastic structure. However, that cannot carry enough heaviness. While assembling that clip, 2 different tools are required for nailing pins and for tightening screw when securing connection to countertop. However, that clip has to be supported by a special adhesive when employing it since it cannot carry enough heaviness.

Second clip structure has 4 slits differently from the first one and has an upper part rotating gradually by axis. However, since that clip has 4 slits, surface area of pins which contacts with countertop becomes smaller and thus it can carry less weight than said first clip. - -

In generally known applications, two attachment elements, clips made of different plastics are used in connection of kitchen sinks to countertops. However, these components can carry 20 kg maximum while they are manufactured from plastic. These known mechanisms ensure clips to hold to countertop by means of nailing a slightly conical component made of plastic rather than threaded expansion bolt into a portion where clip is placed to countertop's hole by a hammer and thereby its ends expand.

While lower part and expansion bolts are completely manufactured from plastic and they cannot provide connection as strong as threaded ones they cannot perform adequate duration under pressure. That causes granite sink to connect with countertop in an insufficient strength.

In the Utility Model application numbered TR 2007/07865 titled A Fixing Assembly for Built-in Basins and Sinks with the IPC code E03C 1 /33: The invention relates to fixing assemblies comprising a screw, a fixation body, an axial movement element providing axial movement of said fixation body and an axial movement bearing at which that element is embedded such that it can move, at least a tack clip having a connection gap, and ensuring the connection of sinks with countertop, wherein, in order to mount said sink on the countertop quickly and readily; it relates to a clip holder which ensures the connection of said tack clip and fixing assembly and which has connection protrusion formed thereon and lateral arms.

The aforementioned connection element in the fixing assembly disclosed in that application is not a solution that eliminates the problems. A different fixing assembly is mentioned.

Description of Aims of The Invention Based on the state-of-the-art, aim of the invention is to improve a novel sink clip bringing along many advantages, wherein problems in present structures are eliminated. Another object of the invention is to improve a sink clip ensuring a strong connection between countertop and sink. Another object of the invention is to improve a sink clip, the assembly of which does not need any extra equipment.

A further object of the invention is to improve a novel sink clip carrying sink by providing longer endurance against higher weights without any problem.

A further aim of the invention is to provide an easy assembly without requiring any additional tool by means of performing the assembly of pins, protrudes and upper part using only one tool (screw driver). A further aim of the invention is to obtain high strength by means of the fact that pins are completely metal and function as expansion bolt wise.

A further aim of the invention is to provide high fastening effect and a robust connection due to the fact that the lower part is completely made of metal.

In order to achieve the aforementioned aims, a novel sink clip which provides high strength, and assembly of which does not need an additional tool, and which provides a smooth and a long-life connection in the assembly of sink to countertop has been developed.

Description of the Figures

Figure - 1 is the illustration of general view of a representative implementation of the invention.

Figure - 2 is the illustration of rear view of a representative implementation of the invention. - -

Figure - 3 is the illustration of sided view of a representative implementation of the invention.

Figure - 2 is the illustration of front and rear view of the lower part in the representative implementation of the invention.

Reference Numbers

Detailed Description of Invention

The invention is a sink clip (19), wherein it's an attachment element connecting countertop and sink to each other. Our developed sink clip (19) are manufactured from anhydrous spring steel and used in the connection of granite kitchen sinks to countertops.

Sink clip (19) mechanism, lower part (6) and upper part (1 ) are completely manufactured from metal. It has one long screw (2) and two small short screws (3) for the expansion bolt mechanism (5). The plastic part in the middle (4) allows the lower part (6) and the upper part (1 ) to move together. The plastic part (4) has a slot in which the long screw (2) moves as threads. There are thread grooves inside that slot for the long screw (2) to move ahead. - -

Metal based expansion bolt (5) is located inside the ends (7) and it has conical form (10). The expansion bolt (5) moves upwards with its conical form (10) by means of tightening small short screw (3). Thereby, metal ends (7) of the sink clip (19) which is placed into holes of the sink tightly hold the sink by expanding sideward. Upper part (1 ) of the sink clip (19) mechanism is capable of rotating 180°. This function provides convenience in mounting sink to countertop.

The sink clip (19) that is developed provides strong attachment at granite sinks by means of directly connection of metal part. Owing to expansion bolt (5) which has conical form (10), metal ends (7) expands by tightening 2 small short screws and thus the connection with granite sink is made.

The sink clip (19), developed after the test conducted with a weight of 100 kg, can carry this weight without any problem for minimum 7 days. Prior art applications can only resist maximum 30 to 40 seconds against a 20-kg weight. This developed sink clip (19) which provides a strong connection between a countertop and a sink does not need an additional equipment during its mounting. In prior art applications, screw driver for plastic clips and small hammer tool for nailing expansion bolts are needed. However, the mounting of the sink clip (19) that is developed is performed readily, simply and without any problem by just tightening the long screw (2) and small short screws (3) by a screw driver.

Upper part (1 ) is the element that holds the countertop. Plastic part (4) is a plastic based part in the form of a small roller, which is necessary for the upper part (1 ) and lower part (6) (the part connected to the sink) to operate jointly.

The lower part (6) is the part where contact with the sink is ensured and the connection is made by placing the pintle lower part protrusion (16) portion and the ends (7) into the holes perforated for the lower part protrusion (16) and the ends (7) of the sink. - -

The ends (7) are placed into assembly gap (18) made for the ends (7) of the lower part (6) and when mounting to the sink the small short screw (3) ensures that the ends (7) expand and holds to the sink by tightening the screws. After assembling the parts of the sink clip (19), the ends (7) of the lower part (6) are placed into the holes of the sink perforated for the ends (7). Then the small short screws (3) inside the ends (7) are tightened by screw driver thereby ensuring that the expansion bolt (5) inside the ends (7) is moved upwards. Thus, the sink clip (19) and the sink are tightly connected to each other. Then, the upper part (1 ) is taken to suitable position, and the connection is completed by tightening the long screw (2) inside the long screw slot (15) on the upper part (1 ).

The novel sink clip (19) that is developed by our invention is completely manufactured from metal apart from the state of the art applications. Its mounting is not performed by nailing the pins like two clips of the applications of the state of the art. Differently, its mounting is ensured by tightening by screw driver in an expansion bolt (5) wise. The person performing the mounting only needs a screw driver in order to tighten expansion bolt (5) inside the end (7) via the small short screw (3) and to attach the sink clip (19) to a countertop.

The developed Sink clip (19) consists of main elements which are the lower part (1 ) and the upper part (6). The upper part (1 ) is connected to lower part (6) by the long screw (2) that is inside the long screw slot (15) and the lower part (6) is connected to plastic part (4) that is inside the plastic part slot (14) thereon. The upper part (1 ) has upper part protrusions (17) which provide holding.

The ends (7) of the lower part (6) is mounted into the assembly gap (18) by the small short screws by mounting expansion bolt (5) through the expansion bolt slot (9). The expansion bolt (5) inside the end (7) pushes the end (7) by expanding sideward while it is tightened by small short screws (3) thanks to its conical form (10) thereby fixing the position thereof. While the small short screws (3) are mounted through the inner - -

threads of expansion bolt (1 1 ), the expansion bolt fully fits to expansion bolt protrusions (8) which are inside the ends (7).

As can be seen from the Figures unmounted condition of the ends (12) is given. As can be understood from the mounted condition of the ends (13) that it performs tightening by expanding sideward owing the conical form (10) of the expansion bolt (5) when the small short screws (3) are tightened.

In order to create a sink clip (19) which provides connection that resists against relatively higher weights and has a high carrying capacity, and which can be mounted without requiring additional equipment, a sink clip (19) which comprises an upper part

(1 ) and a lower part (6) ensuring connection between sink and countertop, a long screw

(2) connecting the upper part (1 ) and the lower part (6) each other and operating like an elevator mechanism and ends (7) of the lower part (6) performing tightening by screw tightening owing to its conical form (10) in a place where it is mounted has been developed.

Metal based upper part (1 ) and lower part (1 ) which resist deformation when subjected to load to provide high load durability are created.

Inside the ends (7), The expansion bolt (5) through which small short screws (3) move, the conical form (10) which expands sideward when tightened in the expansion bolt (5), the expansion bolt protrusions (8) which provides a fully engagement into the expansion bolt slot (9) in the expansion bolt (5) are created.

The long screw slot (15) in which the long screw (2) is mounted on the upper part (1 ), the plastic part (4) through which the long screw (2) is moved by rotating on the lower part (6), the plastic part slot (14) in which the plastic part (4) is mounted on the lower part (6) are created.

The upper part (6) and the lower part (1 ) have the upper part protrusions (17) and the lower part protrusions (16) providing holding on the surface where they are mounted. - -

The lower part (6) on which the ends (7) are mounted has the assembly gap (18) that is limited to a certain amount for the adjustment thereof. The upper part (1 ) which is capable of rotating a 180° is created in order to provide convenience for mounting the sink on a countertop.

Inside the ends (7), the expansion bolt (5) having metal shaped conical form (10) which moves upwards by tightening the small short screw (3) thereby ensures that the metal ends (7) of the sink clip (19) which is placed into holes of the sink, tightly hold the sink by expanding sideward is created.

The sink clip (19) mechanism which has one long screw (2) and two small short screws (3) for the expansion bolt (5) mechanism,

- and the plastic part in the middle (4) which allows the lower part (6) and the upper part (1 ) to move together,

- and the slot of the plastic part (4) in which the long screw (2) moves with threads,

and the thread grooves located inside this slot for the long screw (2) to move is created.

It comprises the metal based upper part (1 ) holding the countertop, the lower part (6) connected to the sink, and the plastic part (4) in the form of a small roller which ensures that the upper part (1 ) and the lower part (6) cooperate. The metal based lower part (6), where the contact with the sink is ensured and which provides the connection made by placing the pintle lower part protrusion (16) portion and the ends (7) into the holes perforated for the lower part protrusion (16) and the ends (7) of the sink, is created.