Storage unit for use under a sanitary facility and building kit intended for that purpose

The invention relates to a storage unit for use under a washbasin or similar sanitary facility, said storage unit comprising a base and an upright wall at least partially surrounding this base.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a building kit for a storage unit in accordance with the invention.

A storage unit of the above-mentioned kind is known from FRl 164141 to the name of Alfons Keller. The known device concerns a storage unit for use under a washbasin. The device consists of a cabinet with a rear wall, two side walls and a front wall. The front wall has been provided with an opening containing a tilting drawer. The tilting drawer has been provided with a handle, which makes it possible to move the drawer from an opened to a closed position. In the opened position, articles may be deposited into the drawer or removed from it. Such a storage unit has the advantage of possibly serving as a laundry basket", especially (though not only) in houses where the washing machine has been placed in the (vicinity of the) bathroom.

The known storage unit has the problem of only fitting washbasins or sanitary facilities of the correct and exactly similar dimensions. The height of the storage unit may be too small, or on the contrary, too large for the sanitary facility. If the storage unit is too low, openings or gaps may occur between the sanitary facility and the storage unit. These gaps may cause water or dirt to reach the drawer of the device, allowing the contents of the drawer to get wet or dirty, which is undesirable and may lead to e.g. moulds. If the storage unit is too high, the device cannot even be placed under a sanitary facility.

The dimensions of the cross-section of the known storage unit also require careful watching and should fit the sanitary facility. Particularly if the cross-section of the storage unit is too large, openings will occur, allowing damp and dirt to run through. As mentioned before, this might cause moulds.

A further problem of the known storage unit is that it has been made of relatively many components, which makes it relatively heavy and relatively expensive.

Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a storage unit that solves at least one of the problems of the known design.

Therefore, the invention provides a storage unit for use under a sanitary facility, said storage unit comprising a base and an upright wall at least partially surrounding this base, the shape of said storage unit being adaptable to the sanitary facility for the purpose of together with the sanitary facility creating a substantially closable storage space, said storage unit being movable from a substantially closed to an opened position, a top side of said storage unit in an opened position at least partially leaving room for placing articles into it or removing them from it, e.g. laundry. The storage unit can be adapted to the shape of the sanitary facility. The adaptability of shape concerns adaptations involving the volume of the storage space to be formed. The depth may be adapted, for the purpose of preferably extending the storage unit to substantially the same length as the sanitary facility. The shape is also adaptable. Hereby the storage unit can adopt an oval shape or, on the contrary, a rectangular shape, or any other shape required. The storage unit is adaptable in height, so that it can be placed under all sanitary facilities.

In one embodiment the shape is adaptable in such a way that the sanitary facility forms the closure of the upright walls of the storage unit. This combination with the sanitary facility serving as closure will be money-saving. Closure and closable in the sense of the invention is not limited to a close-fitting shape, but may also comprise a closure at some distance, allowing for some space in between. In the sense of the invention, a closure or closable access exists when at least part of the storage space is less easily accessible. In one embodiment, access is completely closed off. In this option, the opening or edge of the storage space will be adjacent to the closure, preferably formed by the sanitary facility.

In one embodiment of the invention, the upright wall of the storage unit is adaptable in shape. In this way, it is easy to adapt the storage unit to the shape of the sanitary facility. It is also easy to adapt the height of the storage unit. Besides, it is possible to adapt the base shape of the storage unit. The base can then be provided with the shape of the sanitary facility. However, it is also possible to create a different, self- selected shape, independent of the shape of the sanitary facility.

In one embodiment, the storage unit is positionable against a rear wall. A sanitary facility, e.g. a washbasin, is attached to the rear wall. The storage unit can be placed on a surface under the sanitary facility. In this way, the storage unit will be adjacent to three spaces. In one embodiment of the present invention, the storage unit creates a closable space together with these three spaces. The closable space can be used for the purpose of therein depositing articles. Since the three spaces are used for creating a closable space in combination with the storage unit, less material is needed for making the storage unit. Therefore, the storage unit is lighter and cheaper.

The wall and the base of the storage unit in accordance with the present invention in combination with the sanitary facility may create a substantially closable storage space. The walls and the base create the closable storage space.

Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the storage unit with an extra construction for providing e.g. a drawer. This results in the storage unit consisting of relatively few materials. This makes the storage unit in accordance with the present invention relatively cheap and relatively light.

It should be noted that EP1354805 describes a tray for placing under a sanitary facility. The tray is made of a sheet of flexible material. Several folding lines have been realized which can be used to form a base and upright walls. However, the method described in the above-mentioned patent only offers the possibility of forming the material into square or rectangular products by right angles and is intended to serve as a collecting

tray for leakage water. It is impossible to create a tray of oval, round and rectangular shapes or any combination of these with the known tray. Besides, the known tray is not suitable for creating a substantially closed storage space either.

The storage unit in accordance with the present invention is movable from a substantially closed position to an opened position. As the storage unit is relatively light, it is easily transportable. In an opened position, a top side of the storage unit can at least partially be made accessible. In this way, articles can be deposited into the storage unit. It is also possible to remove the articles from the storage unit.

In one embodiment, the upright wall comprises slats. The slats may extend in a longitudinal direction of the storage unit. Herewith the length of the slats may substantially correspond to the height of the storage unit. The adjacent slats may be hingedly connected to one another. In this way, the shape of the upright wall can easily be adapted.

In one embodiment fixing means are provided for keeping the storage unit in the shape and dimensions desired. The storage unit can be given a specific shape and be fixed afterwards. In addition, the fixing means can be produced in such a way, that they may be taken off. The storage unit can then be put into a specific shape whereafter the fixing means can be taken off and the storage unit can be given a different shape. This creates the possibility of placing the storage unit under a different sanitary facility. This may be advantageous with e.g. removals or conversions. In one embodiment the storage unit has been provided with at least one gripping means. A user can utilize the gripping means for the purpose of moving the storage unit from a closed position to an opened position. The gripping means ensures that the storage unit is quickly and easily movable between these two positions. The gripping means may hereby be formed by a hole realized in the upright wall. This embodiment is relatively cheap. However, other gripping means are also conceivable.

In one embodiment the storage unit has been provided with a receptacle. The receptacle is suitable for containing the articles. The receptacle may be fixed onto the storage unit with fixing means. A receptacle ensures that the articles are properly kept together. Besides, the receptacle can be removed for the purpose of cleaning, or to move the articles contained by the receptacle in an easy way. An inner bag, for instance, may serve as a receptacle. An inner bag is relatively easy to clean. Moreover, an inner bag is relatively cheap, and not heavy.

In one embodiment an upper edge of the storage unit in a closed position is substantially adjacent to a part of the sanitary facility under which the storage unit has been placed. This prevents the problem of dirt and water reaching the storage space of the storage unit. Besides, a tight fit ensures a beautiful aesthetic effect.

The storage unit may be provided with strengthening means for strengthening an upper edge of the upright wall. The strengthened upper edge ensures that the storage unit follows the shape and dimensions of the sanitary facility properly. Besides, the strengthening means ensure a longer operational life of the storage unit.

In one embodiment of the storage unit, said storage unit is a laundry basket in which laundry can be deposited. This is an advantage, especially e.g. in houses where the washing machine has been placed in the bathroom. The dirty clothes collected in the storage unit can easily be taken to the washing machine by putting the storage unit into an opened position. Besides, it is possible to move the storage unit to a position near the washing machine. Thus a separate laundry basket is not necessary, which is an advantage, particularly in confined spaces.

According to one aspect of the invention, said invention provides a building kit for a storage unit in accordance with the present invention. The building kit includes at least one base part and at least one wall part. The base part is designed for the purpose of forming the base of the storage unit.

The wall part is designed for the purpose of forming the upright wall of the storage unit.

In one embodiment the building kit comprises a blank. A blank is relatively easy to make. Besides, it is easy to transport. Moreover, it is easily stackable, which makes the building kit take up relatively little space in e.g. a shop. At least one base part and at least one wall part are incorporated in the blank. At least part of a side of the base part may be hingedly connected to at least part of a side of the wall part. The base and the upright wall have already been mutually connected. In this way a storage unit can be formed from the blank in a relatively easy way.

In one embodiment the base part may comprise a number of strip- shaped parts connected to the wall part. The strip-shaped parts may be designed to extend substantially at right angles to the upright wall, in an assembled state of the storage unit. In this way it is relatively easy to provide the base with any desired shape. In an assembled form the strip- shaped parts may at least be partially overlapping one another. Since the strip-shaped parts are overlapping, any possible fixing means can easily be provided into the base. The wall part of the building kit may comprise strip-shaped parts such as slats. The strip-shaped parts can be formed by folding lines provided in the wall part of the building kit. Adjacent strip-shaped parts may be hingedly connected to one another. In this way it is easy to provide the wall with the shape required for the sanitary facility. It is possible to provide the building kit with fixing means for the purpose of fixing the building components in the desired mutual position. Because of this a user does not need to bring the proper fixing means himself or herself.

The wall part of the building kit may be provided with at least one gripping means. The gripping means may be a hole in the wall part. This embodiment is relatively cheap.

The building kit may be provided with a receptacle for the purpose of containing articles. Besides, the building kit may be provided with fixing means for the purpose of fixing the receptacle onto the storage unit in an assembled state of the storage unit. This ensures that the user does not need to look for the proper fixing means.

In order to illustrate the invention, examples of embodiments of a building kit in accordance with the invention, as well as storage units assembled from said building kit, will be explained with reference to the drawing. Said drawings show: FIG. 1 perspective view of a first embodiment of a building kit in accordance with the invention in a partially assembled state;

FIG. 2 top view of a base of a storage unit assembled in accordance with Figure 1;

FIG.3 top view of the connected building components (enlargement of three building components of Figure 2);

FIG. 4 cross section of the connected building components in accordance with Figure 3;

FIG. 5 perspective view of a storage unit in accordance with the invention, placed under a substantially oval washbasin; FIG.6 top view of the storage unit of Figure 5;

FIG. 7 perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a storage unit in accordance with the invention, placed under a substantially square washbasin;

FIG. 8 top view of the storage unit of Figure 7; and FIG.9 perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a building kit in accordance with the invention, in a partially assembled position.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a building kit 1 for a storage unit. The building kit comprises a base part 2 and a wall part 3. In the embodiment shown, the wall part has been provided with a row of strip- shaped parts 5 substantially identical in shape. The strip-shaped parts may be slat-shaped parts, said strip-shaped parts being connected by means

of hinge elements 6. Said hinge elements 6 may be formed by e.g. a thinner layer of the same material (integral hinge).

The base part 2 comprises (a number of) strip-shaped parts 8. The strip-shaped parts 8 of the base part 2 may be mutually connected, but are independently movable in the embodiment shown. Strip-shaped part 8 is connected to strip-shaped part 5 by means of a hinged connection 9, or may be otherwise fixed onto the wall part. Strip-shaped parts 5,8 may be made of plastic or other sheet material.

By folding wall part 3 over hinge elements 6, it is possible to shape wall part 3 as desired and adapt it to the environmental conditions formed by an available sanitary facility or such like. The strip-shaped parts 8 of the base part 2 will follow the movement of the wall part 3, the strip-shaped parts hereby overlapping (please refer to Pig. 2).

The height of the storage unit 21 can be adapted. This may be done by e.g. cutting the wall part 3 to size or folding it in such a way that an upper edge having been effected in that way is adjacent to an underside of a washbasin when the storage unit is placed under said washbasin, as shown in Figures 5 and 7. If necessary, the components can be partially slit or cut away in order to create space for "obstacles" situated under or behind the washbasin, such as a supply and/or outlet pipe, a pedestal of the washbasin, etc.

Fig. 2 shows how a base part 2 of a building kit as mentioned in the description above may be fixed. The base 2 of the building kit 1 is formed in such a way that strip-shaped parts 8 are overlapping. In the embodiment as shown here, several strip-shaped parts 8 are attached to one another with fixing means 11, which may be e.g. securing pins. In this way the base sections 4i, 4ii, 4iii, 4iv, 4v are formed comprising one, two or more strip-shaped parts 8. Then the base sections are fixed by means of fixing means 7 at two overlapping corners. In this way the base of the storage unit can be formed, said form hereby being adaptable to the sanitary facility.

Pig. 3 and 4 show details of the fixing means 11, which are used to fix several strip-shaped parts 8 of a base part. The fixing means 11 in the embodiment as shown here are securing pins. The pins 14 of the securing pins may be inserted in holes 13 in the strip-shaped parts 8. In this way two strip-shaped parts 8 are mutually connected. The strip-shaped parts 8 are mutually fixed depending on the desired shape of the storage unit. The, so desired, mutually fixed strip-shaped parts 8, will keep the construction in a straight position by the, e.g. made to size, securing pins 11, whereas the unconnected strip-shaped parts 8 can be moved freely into the proper position, whereafter the strip-shaped parts 8 are fixed by means of e.g. screws, nuts and bolts, staples or cramps, blind rivets, glue or fixing clips developed and supplied for that specific purpose. In this way the base of the storage unit is formed.

Fig. 5 shows a storage unit 21 for use under a sanitary facility 32 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment as shown here, the sanitary facility is a washbasin 27 with tap 24. The wall 23 of the storage unit 21 has been assembled from strip-shaped parts 28 which are mutually connected by means of a hinge connection 26. The upright wall 23 has been adapted to the shape and dimension of the washbasin 27. In the embodiment as shown here, the upright wall is provided with a gripping means 25. Said gripping means may be used by a user to move the storage unit 21. Hereby the storage unit 21 is movable from an opened to a closed position. In the closed position, the storage space is at least partially less accessible. In order to simplify opening and closing, rolling or sliding means may be provided under the storage unit 21. The rolling means may, for instance, be wheels. In an opened position articles can be placed inside the storage unit 21 substantially without resistance.

The embodiment as shown here has a gap 29 in between the upright wall parts 23 of the storage unit and the sanitary facility. The sanitary facility 32 forms an at least partial closure of the storage space.

The base 22 of the storage unit 21 as shown in Fig. 5 is shown in Fig. 6. The base is formed by folding strip-shaped parts 20 in such a way that the base has the desired form. Hereby the strip-shaped parts 20 are partially overlapping. Several strip-shaped parts 20 are mutually connected by means not shown here, thus forming base sections 24i, 24ϋ, 24iϋ, 24iv, 24v. Subsequently, the base sections are fixed with fixing means 33.

Fig. 7 and 8 show a storage unit 41 and a base 42 of said unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In this case the storage unit 41 has been placed under a washbasin 47 having a rectangular shape. For that purpose the strip-shaped parts 40 of the base part 42 are formed in such a way that three base sections 44i, 44ϋ and 44iϋ are formed. The wall part 43 of the storage unit 41 has again been adapted to the shape and height of the washbasin 47, by forming strip-shaped parts 48 along folding lines 46 in the correct way. The storage unit 41 is again provided with a gripping means 45, such as a hole. The hole serves as a handle for the user. Besides, it is possible to provide the storage unit 41 with a rack 54. The rack may be suitable for putting a towel 55 on. It is also possible to provide the storage unit of a receptacle 49, such as a laundry bag. The laundry bag has preferably been hung up in such a way that its upper part is folded over an upper edge of the storage unit, while its lower part is resting on the base of the storage unit 41.

It should be mentioned that the storage unit 41 as shown in Fig. 7 and the storage unit 21 as shown in Fig. 5 can be produced from one and the same building kit in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of a building kit 61 for a storage unit. The building kit has a wall forming panel 63. The panel has a substantially rectangular shape. Besides, the building kit has been provided with a base forming panel 62. Said panel has also been provided with a substantially rectangular shape. The panels 62,63 are preferably made from a material that can easily be processed, so it can easily be bent

and/or cut into by a do-it-yourselfer, such as e.g. plastic or cardboard. The material may be laminated or coated with a water-repellent layer.

The base forming panel can be placed perpendicularly on the wall forming panel. This may be effected for instance, because the two panels 62,63 have been mutually connected, the panels being positionable along a folding line 66. However, it is also possible to place the panels perpendicularly in a different way, also when the panels are not directly mutually connected.

The wall forming panel 63 has been provided with a plurality of bending lines 64, which substantially extend at a right angle with the second panel 62. The bending lines 64 can be placed at a mutually regular distance. However, it is also possible to place the bending lines 64 at mutually different distances if desired. The bending lines are preferably placed at a mutual distance of 3 to 5 cm. The bending lines 64 may be formed by e.g. weakening lines, perforation lines, folding lines, hinges (for instance integral hinge), or such like.

With an above-mentioned building kit 61, a storage unit 21 as shown in Fig. 5 and a storage unit 41 as shown in Fig. 7 can be produced. For that purpose the base forming panel 62 is cut into in one or more weakening or perforation lines 65, or is otherwise split as far as the wall forming panel 63, depending on the desired final shape of the storage unit. The wall forming panel 63 may subsequently be bent at this (these) cut(s) for the purpose of forming (rounded) bends or (sharp) corners, parts of the base forming panel hereby mutually sliding on top of one another. For the purpose of fixing the storage unit in the position thus bent, the overlapping parts of the base forming panel 62 can be mutually fixed, with e.g. screws, nuts and bolts, staples or cramps, blind rivets, glue or fixing clips developed and supplied for that specific purpose, or such like.

Thanks to one of the above-mentioned building kits, storage units adaptable to various types of washbasins can be constructed, with different geometry, i.e. shape, dimension, height, supply and outlet pipes, etc. The

desired shape of the storage unit to be realized can easily be varied by a do- it-yourselfer thanks to the possibilities of remodelling of the various building components. The desired height and other dimensions can easily be varied by cutting the material to size or by coupling more or fewer building components together. Besides or alternatively, a certain adaptability in height can be realized by using wheels adaptable in height.

Obviously the storage units may also be sold to consumers in a partially or completely assembled state. In that case the consumer should select the proper geometry before buying. Afterwards he or she can adapt the height himself or herself in one of the above-mentioned ways. Thus the number of assembly operations for the consumer can be limited to a minimum. The distributor does not need to store a large number of different storage units since a large variety of storage units may be realized with one type of building kit in accordance with the invention. The invention is by no means limited to the exemplary embodiments as shown in the description and the drawing. All combinations of (parts of) the embodiments as described and/or shown are deemed to fall within the context of the inventive idea. Besides, many variants thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the ' invention, as defined in the attached claims.