RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of Israel Patent Application No. 279030 filed on 26 November 2020 and of Israel Patent Application No. 287212 filed 12 October 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a wall for tiling and enclosing a space, and more particularly but not exclusively to a way of making a false wall inside a building, for example for enclosing plant, pipes and plumbing installations such as a toilet cistern.

Enclosure of spaces inside a building typically involves building a drywall construction around the space, say using plasterboard. Likewise, enclosing of a built-in toilet cisterns typically require building a drywall construction around the toilet cistern. The drywall construction provides a surface that can be cladded with tiles, e.g. ceramic tiles. When constructing the drywall, a construction worker is required to form dedicated openings to provide access to the toilet flushing actuator, the waste water pipe, the inlet water pile and the pair of bars extending out from the built- in toilet cistern for supporting the toilet seat. The toilet seat and flushing actuator cover may be installed after the drywall construction is formed with the dedicated openings and is cladded with the tiles. The drywall construction may be partially filled with cement to structurally reinforce the portion of the drywall that engages the toilet seat when installed.

French Patent No. 3037978, entitled “Sanitary toilet kit protected against fires,” discloses a sanitary unit of fire-protected toilet with a wall which has an anterior side and a posterior side turned towards a sanitary space and which is further configured for the junction with a toilet. It has a flushing water passage opening for the passage of a flushing water pipe, a waste water opening, an actuating opening for the passage and/or the housing of an actuating element for a recessed flush tank placed behind the wall in the sanitary space and at least one primary element of protection against the fires configured to close at least one passage opening. The wall has at least one gypsum board, at least one secondary fire protection element being provided on the rear side of the wall around at least one passage opening, isolating a marginal area of the passage opening against the effects of heat.

European Patent Application Publication No. 3138968 entitled “Built-In Cistern with Moisture and Leakage Protection,” discloses a built-in cistern for a toilet bowl, which is installed in a wall. The cistern includes a water connection, an actuator, a connecting pipe between the installation cistern and the toilet bowl and a moisture and leakage protection layer. Applications include wet rooms, especially sanitary areas in buildings which were built of wood, such as wooden houses. Unlike concrete or stone living rooms, wooden houses are at an increased risk of irreparable damage to the building fabric of a wooden house due to water damage caused by mold damage and rot.

US Patent Application Publication No. 20060010784 entitled “Wall Water Panel,” discloses a water field box including a case having a flexible hose inside, and a plate for opening/closing the case. The plate has a frictional protrusion and a repair hole, and a flange member around an outline of the repair hole to be opened/closed by an opening plate. It is disclosed that the water field box can be easily assembled and disassembled, more particularly, the inner condition of the water field box can be directly monitored during the work by putting the hand of the worker into the repair hole when it requires identification of the inner condition or repair of the water field box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of some example embodiments, there is provided a prefabricated frame that may be placed against a wall, fixed in place and covered in cladding. The frame may have a grid surface to allow cement to adhere, and the cement may support ceramic tiles or other cladding material. The frame may be made of polymer material and may be formed by injection moulding.

In embodiments the prefabricated frame may be a prefabricated cover shaped and dimensioned to enclose a built-in toilet cistern in a way that allows access as necessary, in particular once the cover has been covered in cladding. According to some example embodiments, the cover is configured to encase the built-in toilet cistern against a backup wall and provide a surface that may be cladded with tiles. The cover as described herein is configured to be used in place of a drywall construction that is typically required to be built around the built-in toilet cistern. Covering the built-in cistern as described herein may reduce the time it takes to install the toilet, may provide a more structurally sound construction and may also save cost and time by eliminating the need for a drywall construction person for the installing process. In some example embodiments, the cover is formed from a rigid material that may provide a structural support for withstanding forces applied from the toilet seat, e.g. when a person sits on the toilet seat.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a pre-fabricated frame for enclosing a space alongside a wall and finishing as a wall extension, the pre-fabricated frame comprising: a front panel and at least one side panel, the panels comprising a grid surface, the grid surface configured for frictional adhesion thereto of cement for wall cladding; and a bottom-facing extension of at least one of said front and side panels for fixing to a floor.

Typically left and right side panels are used, but the enclosed space may be provided in a corner, in which case one of the side panels may be dispensed with as appropriate.

The frame may be sized and dimensioned as a cover or enclosure for a toilet cistern, the toilet cistern mounted on a backup wall.

As well as side panels there may be an upper panel, if the frame does not extend all the way to the ceiling.

In an embodiment, said front panel and said side panels together define an enclosure configured for encasing the toilet cistern against at least the back-up wall.

In an embodiment, said front panel comprises a water opening for accessing an inlet water pipe and waste water pipe of the toilet cistern, and an actuator opening for accessing an actuator of the built-in toilet cistern for flushing the toilet.

In an embodiment, said side panels include a mounting opening through which a floor mounting stand of said toilet cistern may extend and at least one fixing structure for mounting the cover against the backup wall.

In an embodiment, the water opening is configured for receiving a supporting structure extending from the toilet cistern, said supporting structure configured for supporting a weight of a toilet seat of the toilet.

In an embodiment, said front panel is integral with said side panels. Alternatively, the front panel is fixed onto said side panels, thus allowing the frame to be provided as a flat-pack.

The frame may comprise a polymer material, and may be constructed using injection molding.

In an embodiment, said grid comprises a plurality of through going holes defined between bars, the holes and bars providing footholds for cement.

In an embodiment, bar sections surrounding selected ones of individual holes are recessed, so that recessed bars between non-recessed bars provide an improved foothold for the cement.

In an embodiment, said selected individual holes are selected according to a regular pattern in said grid. In embodiments, the pattern is chosen to ensure that at least one recessed hole is provided for each one of ceramic tiles used for cladding.

The frame may include reinforcing ribs, the reinforcing ribs may include triangular shapes to provide additional strength. A fixing structure, having screws and screw-holes, or hooks, may attach the frame to the wall or floor. In an embodiment, a toilet cistern may be attached to the wall and the frame may be fixed to the wall around the toilet cistern.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a prefabricated frame for a toilet cistern mounted on a backup wall, the prefabricated frame comprising: a front panel and side panels extending around said front panel, wherein said front panel and said side panels together define an enclosure configured for encasing the built-in toilet cistern against at least the back-up wall, wherein said front panel comprises a water opening for accessing an inlet water pipe and waste water pipe of the built-in toilet cistern, and an actuator opening for accessing an actuator of the built-in toilet cistern for flushing the toilet, wherein said side panels include a bottom facing side panel with a mounting opening through which a floor mounting stand of said built-in toilet cistern may extend and at least one fixing structure for mounting the cover against the backup wall, and wherein at least one of said front panel and said side panel comprises a grid for support of a wall finish.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for enclosing a space by a wall, the method comprising: mounting a cistern against a backup wall; mounting the prefabricated frame around the space to be enclosed, in this case over the toilet cistern; cladding the prefabricated frame; and connecting said toilet seat and said actuating element.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and/or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, exemplary methods and/or materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be necessarily limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments of the invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1A and IB are isometric views from front and back of an example cover for a built- in toilet cistern in accordance with some example embodiments;

FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C are respectively a front view, side view and back view of the example cover for a built-in toilet cistern in accordance with some example embodiments;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the example cover being assembled in accordance with some example embodiments;

FIG. 4 is the example cover when assembled on the built-in cistern in accordance with some example embodiments;

FIGs. 5A - 5G are various views of a cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGs 6A and 6B illustrate a cistern that may be provided or used with the present embodiments;

FIGs 7A to 7D show the backup wall, the cover of the present embodiments and an upper detail of how the same fit together;

FIGs 8A to 8G are different views of a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a simplified view of a cover according to embodiments of the present invention fitted over a cistern.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As explained, the present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a prefabricated frame for forming a false wall and enclosing a space, and more particularly but not exclusively to the case where the enclosure includes a toilet cistern. The invention may further relate again not exclusively, to a cover for a built-in or provided toilet cistern.

The frame may be of polymeric material and may be formed by injection molding and may be fixed in place against a wall and then cladded. To enable the cladding, a grid surface may be provided to the frame to provide footholds for cement. The grid may involve horizontal and vertical bars defining evenly spaced holes between them. At regular intervals one bar section between two holes may be recessed to provide a further foothold for the cement.

Built-in toilet cisterns typically have a standard shape and size and are typically installed at a standard height above the floor. According to some example embodiments, the frame as described herein is sized and shaped to provide a closed false-wall construction around a toilet cistern and thus includes pre-fabricated openings (actuator opening and water opening) at known locations based on the known standard of built-in toilet cisterns. If more than one standard is available, a cover as described herein may be defined for each of the available standards. The present inventors have found that the use of a prefabricated frame simplifies the closing off of the built-in toilet cistern by providing a portable structure that may be placed around the cistern and avoid the need to build a plaster wall. The cover may also provide a more sound and reliable construction around a built-in toilet cistern and may also be provided together with the cistern if being built anew.

According to an aspect of some example embodiments, the cover for a built-in toilet cistern includes a front panel that is sized to cover a front face of the built-in toilet cistern and side panels that are sized to extend from edges of the front panel to a backup wall on which the built-in toilet cistern is mounted. Optionally and preferably, the cover is sized to extend down to a floor. According to some example embodiments, the front panel is pre-fabricated with dedicated openings through which a water pipe and actuator for flushing the toilet may be accessed. Optionally and preferably, the dedicated opening for the water pipe may also be configured for receiving bars, e.g. a pair of bars on which the toilet seat is supported therethrough. Alternatively, the cover may include dedicated openings for each of the bars. Optionally, the cover may be reinforced around the dedicated opening for the water pipes and/or the bars. Optionally, the side panels are reinforced. Optionally, the reinforcement of the front panel and/or side panels is with an additional layer of material, e.g. same or different material than the rest of the cover. Optionally, the additional material is added in an inner facing surface of the cover. Optionally, the reinforcement may be integral to the cover. Alternatively or additionally, a reinforcing structure may be a separate element that is fixed on the front panel, e.g. gluing or screw connections. Optionally, the front panel includes dedicated openings through which cement may be added for reinforcing an area around the water pipes and/or the bars. Optionally, dedicated openings through which cement may be added for reinforcing an area around the water pipes and/or the bars is also included on the side panels. The reinforced cover may support the toilet bowl, which accordingly does not have to be supported on the floor, thus avoiding any need for embedding in concrete, as will be discussed in greater detail below.

According to some example embodiments, a bottom facing side panel is formed with a dedicated opening through which a floor mounting stand of built-in toilet cistern may extend. In some example embodiments, the side panels of the cover are formed with openings for receiving screws for fixing the cover against the backup wall. Optionally, the side panels include hooking elements configured to hook onto mating hooking elements fixed on the backup wall.

In some example embodiments, the cover is a single piece. In other example embodiments, the front panel is a separate piece that is connected to the side panels, e.g. friction fitted, screwed and/or glued to the side panels. In some example embodiments, the cover is formed form a polymer material. Optionally, the cover is formed in an injected molding process, e.g. a single or multiple process. In some example embodiments, the cover or a portion thereof is formed from metal sheet material. Optionally, one or more surfaces of the cover include a grid (or mesh) construction and/or a friction protrusion, e.g. an array of protrusions for strengthening a mechanical engagement with mortar applied on the cover for cladding. Optionally, the grid construction is configured to reduce an overall weight of the cover and the amount of material needed, e.g. reducing the bill of materials, while maintaining a desired structural soundness of the cover.

According to some example embodiments, a method for cladding over a built-in toilet cistern includes mounting the cistern against a backup wall, mounting the cover over the cistern and cladding the cover. Optionally, prior to cladding, cement may be added to fill a volume between the built-in toilet cistern and the cover through dedicated holes in the cover. The toilet seat and flushing actuator may be assembled after the cover is cladded.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components and/or methods set forth in the following description and/or illustrated in the drawings and/or the Examples. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1A and IB showing isometric views from the front and back of an example cover for a built-in toilet cistern and FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C showing respectively a front view, side view and back view of the example cover, all in accordance with some example embodiments. According to some example embodiments, a cover 100 includes a front panel 102 and side panels 104. Optionally and preferably, cover 100 is an open box like enclosure with a rectangular shaped front panel 102 and four side panels 104. Optionally and preferably, front panel 102 and side panels 104 are one integral piece. Alternatively, front panel 102 and side panels 104 may be two parts that are attached, e.g. friction fitted, glued and/or screwed together. In some example embodiments, cover 100 is made from a polymer material. Optionally, cover 100 is formed in an injection molding process. In some example embodiments, cover 100 is formed from a metal sheet. According to some example embodiments, front panel 102 includes a water opening 110 and an actuator opening 120. Water opening 110 and actuator opening 120 provide access to components of the built-in toilet cistern, e.g. inlet water pipe, waste water pipe, toilet flushing actuator and a structure support for holding the toilet seat. According to some example embodiments, side panels 104 includes a bottom facing side panel 106 with an opening 145 through which a floor mounting stand of the built-in toilet cistern may extend.

In some example embodiments, at least a portion of front panel 102 and/or side panels 104 is formed with a grid of through going holes 112. Optionally, grid 112 is configured to be at least partially filled with mortar during cladding. Optionally, grid 112 on front panel 102 may have larger openings as compared to grid 112 on side panels 104. Optionally, grid structure 112 provides improved mechanical fixation of the cladding elements against cover 100. Alternatively or additionally, at least a portion of front panel 102 and/or side panels 104 may be formed with frictional protrusions that may also provide improved mechanical fixation of the mortar and cladding elements, e.g. ceramic tiles, against cover 100.

According to some example embodiments, side panels 104 include fixing structures 130 for fixing cover 100 against a backup wall. In some example embodiments, fixing structures 130 are a plurality of screw holes configured for receiving screws for screwing cover 100 against a backup wall. Optionally and preferably, fixing structures 130 are included on each of the side walls. Alternatively or additionally, fixing structures 130 may be hooks configured to hook onto a mating element fixed onto the backup wall.

In some example embodiments, cover 100 may include a reinforcement structure 140 in a selected portion of front panel 102. Optionally and preferably, reinforcement structure 140 is positioned at a location against which a toilet seat may abut and may provide structural support against moment forces applied by the toilet seat when installed against cover 100. Optionally, one or more of side walls 104 are reinforced. In some example embodiments, reinforcement structure 140 may involve stmts at angles to form a reinforcing triangle. The reinforcing structure 140 may include dedicated openings 165 through which cement may be inserted for filling a space between the backup wall and cover 100. Optionally, additional dedicated openings 175 may be formed on side walls 104. Optionally and preferably, dedicated openings 165 and 175 are positioned at a location against which a toilet seat may abut. The reinforcement may be an additional layer of material, optionally positioned on an inner face of cover 100.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 showing an exploded view of the example cover being assembled and FIG. 4 showing the example cover when assembled on the built-in cistern, both in accordance with some example embodiments. According to some example embodiments, a cover 100 is configured to cover a built-in toilet cistern 50 that is fixed against a backup wall 10. In some example embodiments, actuating actuator opening 120 is sized and positioned to align with actuator 20 of built-in toilet cistern 50 and receive an actuator cover or handle after full installation of the toilet. Similarly, water opening 110 is sized and positioned to align with inlet water pipe 40 and waste water pipe 30 and provide connecting inlet water pipe 40 and waste water pipe 30 to a toilet seat. Optionally and preferably, water opening 110 is also sized and positioned to align with supporting structure 60 so that supporting structure 60 can penetrate through water opening 110. Typically, supporting structure 60 is a pair of bars for supporting a weight of the toilet seat. The bars may be supported at their far end by a horizontal bar 61 that extends across the back of the cistern, and at the front end by supporting ribs of the reinforcement structure 140 of the cover to provide a stable support for the toilet bowl. Although, a single water opening 110 is shown for providing access for each of inlet water pipe 40, waste water pipe 30 and supporting structure 60, separate openings for some or each of the components are used in the embodiments below.

According to some example embodiments, cover 100 is sized to extend to the floor 11 or substantially near floor 11. Opening 145 in bottom facing side panel 106 provides supporting cover 100 against backup wall 10 with floor mounting frame 70 extending therethrough. In some example embodiments, a plurality of screws 135 are used to fix cover 100 against wall 10. According to some example embodiments, once cover 100 is fixed against wall 10, cover 100 may be cladded with tiles, e.g. ceramic tiles. Optionally and preferably, cover 100 is sized and shaped to replace a need to build a drywall around the built-in toilet cistern and to provide a suitable surface for cladding or for covering with mortar or plaster or ceramic tiles and the like, herein referred to as a wall finish. Optionally, a drywall construction may be built around cover 100. Optionally, a drywall may fixed against cover 100. Thus the wall finish effectively encloses the cistern behind a false wall, providing aesthetic enhancement to the bathroom environment. According to some example embodiments, cover 100 is sized to provide a full construction around built-in toilet cistern 10 with pre-fabricated openings (actuator opening 120 and water opening 130) at known locations based on the known standard of built-in toilet cisterns 50.

Reference is made to Figs 5A - 5G, which are a top front perspective view, a front view, a rear view, a bottom rear perspective view, a top view, a side view and a bottom view respectively, of a cover according to the present embodiments. As before, cover 100 is an open box like enclosure with a rectangular shaped front panel 102 and four side panels 104.

As above, front panel 102 includes an inlet water opening 110, an outlet water opening 111, and an actuator opening 120. Inlet water opening 110, outlet water opening 111, and actuator opening 120 provide access to components of the built-in toilet cistern, e.g. inlet water pipe, waste water pipe, and flushing actuator and holes 160 may allow support structure 60 from the cistern to extend through and support the toilet seat. A bottom facing opening 145 may allow a floor mounting stand of the built-in toilet cistern to extend.

Some or all of front panel 102 and/or side panels 104 are formed with a grid of through going holes 112. Grid 112 may be at least partially filled with mortar during cladding. Optionally, grid 112 on front panel 102 may have larger openings as compared to grid 112 on side panels 104. Optionally, grid structure 112 provides improved mechanical fixation of the cladding elements against cover 100. Alternatively or additionally, at least a portion of front panel 102 and/or side panels 104 may be formed with frictional protrusions that may also provide improved mechanical fixation of the mortar and cladding elements, e.g. ceramic tiles, against cover 100.

In the grid 112, through-going holes are defined between surrounding bars of the grid. In embodiments, selected ones of the bar sections between two neighboring holes are recessed. The recessed bar surrounded by non-recessed bars forms a firmer foothold for cement. Typically the recessed bars are selected in a regular pattern, and the pattern is selected on the basis of standard sized cladding tiles, so that each tile of the cladding has a given number of recessed bars to ensure effective support.

In one embodiment, a prelocated cistern is already in position, and cover 100 is provided to place around the cistern. Once the cover is fixed in position, it may be covered in mortar or plasterboard or tiles, including ceramic tiles, so that the cistern is hidden behind a false wall.

In another embodiment, the cistern is provided together with the cover 100. In such a case the cistern is plumbed into position and the cover 100 is placed around and over and covered in mortar or plasterboard as before to provide a wall finish.

In a yet further embodiment, a plaster or other wall may be provided on a second side, so that the cover is only needed to conceal from above and on one side. Accordingly, the wall finish applied to the cover may merge into the plaster or other wall finish of the second wall. Thus the cover encases the cistern against the back up wall and the second wall. In any event, whether or not there is a second wall present, the cover encases the cistern against at least the back-up wall.

Reference is now made to Figs. 6A and 6B, which are two views of a cistern that may be provided with cover 100. Toilet cistern 50 may be fixed against a back wall 10. Actuator opening 120 is sized and positioned to align with actuator 20 of built-in toilet cistern 50 and receive an actuator handle after full installation of the toilet. Similarly, inlet water opening 110 of cover 100 is sized and positioned to align with inlet water pipe 40 and outlet water opening 111 is designed to align with waste water pipe 30 and provide connecting inlet water pipe 40 and waste water pipe 30 to the cistern. Openings 160 are sized and positioned to align with supporting structure 60 so that supporting structure 60 can penetrate through water opening 130. Typically, supporting structure 60 is a pair of bars for supporting a weight of the toilet seat.

Fig. 7 A is a rear view of the back wall 10 on which the cistern 50 may be mounted. Screw holes 130 may be provided for mounting of cover 100 shown in Fig. 7B. Figs. 7C and 7D show the upper part of cover 100 fitting over the upper part of cistern 50 so that actuator 20 of the cistern aligns with actuator opening 120 of cover 100.

Reference is now made to Figs. 8A to 8G, which are perspective views of front cover 102 in an embodiment in which the front 102 and sides 104 are separate parts which are fitted together. Figs 8C and 8D are details of the top parts of cover 102. Fig. 9 illustrates both top and bottom of cover 100 as fitted over cistern 50. Actuator opening 120 fits over actuator 20. Inlet water pipe 40 enters via opening 140. Outlet waste water pipe 30 fits through outlet water opening 110, and supports 60 extend through openings 160.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the invention. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements. In addition, any priority document(s) of this application is/are hereby incorporated herein by reference in its/their entirety.