IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,732,450
Granted Patent B2
US 11,732,450 · App. 17/345,896 · Granted Aug 22, 2023

Sink with integrated rinse feature

Inventors: Niels Eilmus (Sheboygan, WI); Chanseol Chung (Milwaukee, WI); Steven F. Ellingsen (Plymouth, WI); Christopher Santos (Sheboygan Falls, WI)
Assignee: Kohler Co.
E03C1/048E03C1/046E03C1/182
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,732,450
App. No.
17/345,896
Granted
Aug 22, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sink system includes a basin and a rinsing system. The basin includes a first wall configured to contain water within the basin. The rinsing system is integrated with the basin. The rinsing system includes one or more water outlets and a fluid conduit. The one or more water outlets are located along the first wall of the basin and are configured to dispense water into the basin. The fluid conduit extends at least partially along the first wall of the basin. The fluid conduit is fluidly coupled to the one or more water outlets and is configured to deliver water to the one or more water outlets.

Claims (40)

1. A sink system comprising:

a basin comprising a first wall configured to contain water within the basin; and

a rinsing system integrated with the basin and comprising:

one or more water outlets located along the first wall of the basin and configured to dispense water into the basin;

a fluid conduit extending at least partially along the first wall of the basin, the fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the one or more water outlets and configured to deliver water to the one or more water outlets; and

one or more sensors configured to detect an object within a detection zone in the basin and to activate the one or more water outlets to provide water to the basin to rinse the object.

2. The sink system of claim 1 , wherein:

the basin further comprises a second wall opposite the first wall; and

the one or more water outlets are configured to dispense the water into the basin in a direction substantially from the first wall toward the second wall.

3. The sink system of claim 1 , wherein:

the basin comprises one or more additional walls coupled to the first wall, the first wall and the one or more additional walls forming a perimeter of the basin; and

the one or more water outlets comprise a plurality of water outlets distributed across the first wall and the one or more additional walls along the perimeter of the basin.

4. The sink system of claim 1 , further comprising a faucet comprising a first faucet outlet located along a top surface of the faucet and configured to dispense water from the faucet, wherein:

the fluid conduit comprises a faucet connector configured to connect to the first faucet outlet; and

the fluid conduit is configured to receive the water dispensed from the first faucet outlet via the faucet connector and deliver the water from the faucet to the one or more water outlets.

5. The sink system of claim 4 , the faucet further comprising a second faucet outlet located along a bottom surface of the faucet opposite the top surface and configured to dispense water from the faucet into the basin concurrently with the faucet providing water to the fluid conduit via the first faucet outlet.

6. The sink system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is:

fluidly coupled to a water source via a water line that extends through a wall of the basin; and

configured to receive the water from the water source via the water line and deliver the water from the water source to the one or more water outlets.

7. The sink system of claim 1 , wherein:

the basin comprises one or more additional walls coupled to the first wall, the first wall and the one or more additional walls forming a perimeter of the basin, and an overflow hole located along one of the first wall or additional walls of the basin, the overflow hole bring configured to direct at least some of the water within the basin to a drain when a water level of the water within the basin reaches the overflow hole; and

a first distance between the one or more water outlets and a bottom surface of the basin is less than a second distance between the overflow hole and the bottom surface of the basin such that the water level is above the one or more water outlets when the water level reaches the overflow hole.

8. The sink system of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum breaker configured to prevent the water within the basin from flowing into the one or more water outlets.

9. The sink system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a rinse button positioned along or proximate the basin, the rinse button being configured to manually active the one or more water outlets to provide water to the basin.

10. The sink system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more water outlets comprises a plurality of rinse apertures formed in the first wall.

11. The sink system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of rinse apertures is oriented along one of a horizontal plane to provide a rinse stream along a plane of the basin, and an arc to provide a rinse to various locations in the basin.

12. The sink system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of rinse apertures is oriented in a non-linear cluster pattern to provide a targeted rinse.

13. The sink system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more capacitive sensors positioned proximate the one or more water outlets.

14. A sink system comprising:

a basin comprising a first wall configured to contain water within the basin; and

a rinsing system integrated with the basin and comprising:

a plurality of rinse apertures formed in the first wall of the basin and configured to dispense water into the basin in a spray pattern; and

a fluid conduit extending at least partially along the first wall of the basin, the fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the plurality of rinse apertures and configured to deliver water to the plurality of rinse apertures.

15. The sink system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of rinse apertures is oriented along a horizontal plane to provide a rinse stream along a plane of the basin.

16. The sink system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of rinse apertures is oriented along an arc to provide a rinse to various locations in the basin.

17. The sink system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of rinse apertures is oriented in a non-linear cluster pattern to provide a targeted rinse.

18. The sink system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of rinse apertures comprises a plurality of spray nozzles.

19. The sink system of claim 14 , wherein the basin comprises one or more additional walls coupled to the first wall, the first wall and the one or more additional walls forming a perimeter of the basin, wherein the plurality of rinse apertures are distributed across the first wall and the one or more additional walls along the perimeter of the basin.

20. The sink system of claim 14 , one or more sensors configured to detect an object within a detection zone in the basin and to activate the one or more water outlets to provide water to the basin to rinse the object.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2021
From: EILMUS, NIELS; CHUNG, CHANSEOL; ELLINGSEN, STEVEN F.; SANTOS, CHRISTOPHER
To: KOHLER CO.
Reel/Frame 058046/0646 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63056997 · Jul 27, 2020
Related Publication 20220025620A1 · Jan 27, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,338,611