LABORATORY SINK CABINET

Abstract

Laboratory sink unit, consisting of a furniture structure comprising an internal metal structure (1), different components (2) such as a countertop, cabinet doors and lining panels, which are customized for each laboratory, a column (4) for channeling water, fluid, gas and electricity supplies, as well as the different installations associated with said supplies such as taps, sockets, etc... and a sink assembly, in addition to shelves and back panels or covers for closing the cabinets or the unit, the aforementioned internal metal structure resting on the floor by means of legs provided with leveling feet, being characterized in that the aforementioned internal metal structure (1) is made of welded steel and the sides of the unit are constructed by side closing panels (3), which are attached to the aforementioned internal metal structure with a system of magnets, as is the front plinth (5).

Description

LABORATORY SINK CABINET The present invention, a laboratory sink unit, consists of a structure that facilitates the transport and operation of this laboratory unit, facilitating its quick connection to the associated supplies of fluids, gases and electricity. Therefore, the object of the present invention will be of interest to the laboratory furniture supply industry. BACKGROUND The state of the art, with regard to this type of device, has been evolving in order to provide laboratories with greater flexibility and lower cost in the installation and configuration of their facilities. It is common for laboratories to require frequent modifications and changes to their facilities throughout their lifespan. Furthermore, the commissioning of new facilities must be carried out with minimal complexity and construction work to reduce downtime, and an entire specialized industry has developed to address this. Thus, by way of example, the US patent US10080434 of 2017 entitled "Modular Laboratory Furniture Assembly" by inventors Ron Bedard and Pierre Poirier, describes a set of modular laboratory furniture having a work surface with front legs and rear legs, each of the rear leg members being configured to couple to the corresponding rear leg members of a second work surface placed in a back-to-back position with respect to the rear leg members and each of them being secureable to two rear leg members of the second work surface forming a combined vertical elongated service cavity therein. This invention constitutes a disclosure relating to furniture and, more specifically, to modular laboratory furniture, its assembly and manufacture. The aforementioned document describes the state of the art in 2017, at the time of its registration. With the rapid evolution of technology and scientific development, laboratories face the challenge of increasingly adapting and modifying their space to the changing needs of diverse projects. This requires increasingly adaptable and flexible furniture solutions, specific to laboratories. These solutions require the integration and distribution of services such as electricity, gas, and other fluids to each workstation, which can also change or must be easily changed. Existing modular furniture systems are often costly to reconfigure or modify to meet the ever-changing requirements of the modern laboratory. Furthermore, the aforementioned US patent, US10080434, discloses a new and improved system, method, and assembly of modular furniture that provides laboratories with greater flexibility and lower costs for modifications and changes throughout its lifespan. These features allow for greater flexibility in the use of space, as well as in the installation and dismantling of workstation services. According to one aspect, in one embodiment, the modular laboratory furniture system comprises a work surface with a front edge, a rear edge, two opposite side edges, a top surface, and a bottom surface, with a subassembly located beneath the work surface, upon which it is mounted and supported. The subassembly comprises a support for the rear surface, two supports for the opposite side surface, and a pair of front legs. The system further includes a pair of rear legs, each selectively attachable to the subassembly near opposite rear corners of the subassembly, close to the intersection of one of the side supports of the work surface and one end of the support.Each rear leg has an elongated cavity along its length, extending downwards from its upper end, and a portion of an outer side, facing outwards from the lateral edge of the work surface, defines an elongated vertical opening in the elongated cavity of each rear leg. This structure may offer advantages over other classic modular furniture structures, in which the furniture consists of modules that can be assembled together to create more complex structures. However, the structures described require time for placement and assembly, so even though the modules themselves may be inexpensive, the overall cost increases due to the associated assembly work. Furthermore, the assembly time results in a significant loss of laboratory availability, as it renders facilities unavailable that may be used for other productive activities, such as quality control in manufacturing processes. Therefore, the present invention represents a novel and original structure that facilitates the transport and setup of a laboratory sink unit. It thus represents an advance in the prior art by simplifying the transport and setup of said laboratory sink unit. DESCRIPTION The present laboratory sink unit described below consists of a furniture structure with the following characteristics. It consists of a structure or furniture set comprising an internal metal structure, made of welded steel, to which the components typical of this type of cabinet are screwed, making it characteristic of each laboratory (customization) such as columns for services (taps, sockets, hiding installations), shelves, back covers for island placement, etc. Likewise, the fixed components that normally comprise a sink assembly (doors, the sink basin itself, usable inner base, etc.) are screwed to the aforementioned internal metal structure. The aforementioned service supply column is adapted to different dimensions, depending on the height of the service supply point, and can be a tall column, up to the ceiling, for example, when said supplies run through distribution networks in the ceiling of the laboratory. The aforementioned internal metal structure rests on its lower part, on the ground, by means of legs equipped with leveling feet. The structure thus defined constitutes a firm assembly that can be transported from the factory to be installed, or reinstalled when a reorganization is required in a laboratory. The sides of the cabinet are constructed with side panels, which are attached to the aforementioned internal metal structure with a magnetic system, as is the base. This allows easy access to the interior of the cabinet from both sides, requiring only the removal of the side panels, which are held in place by magnets. For transport purposes, since the furniture constitutes a firm unit, it can be supplied as a unit mounted on a pallet, which also facilitates logistics and storage once manufactured. Once transported and placed in the laboratory, the installer will remove the magnetic closure side panels and the toe boards, so that the sink can be easily placed in the appropriate location in the laboratory, fully assembled. The installation process is extremely simple, saving on installation costs and time. The installer simply needs to level the entire unit using the leveling feet, which are accessible after removing the plinths that attach to the internal metal structure with magnets. Once the furniture is leveled and in its correct position, the installer can make the connections for the supplies (fluids, gases, and electricity) that are applicable in each case. Once the installation of the aforementioned supplies is complete, the installer can replace the magnetic side panels, thus completing the installation of the furniture in the laboratory. The sink unit has a finish that is aesthetically virtually identical to that of a traditional sink, since the internal metal structure is completely hidden. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION A detailed description of the laboratory sink unit will then be given, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent, by way of example only and not as a limitation, a preferred embodiment susceptible to all those variations in detail that do not imply a fundamental alteration of the essential characteristics of said improvements. These plans illustrate: Figure 1: Perspective view of an exploded view of the laboratory sink unit. Figure 2: Perspective view of a sink structure of the laboratory sink cabinet. Figure 3: Perspective view of an exploded view of the assembly of the magnetic parts in the installation of the laboratory sink cabinet. Figure 4: Perspective view of an example set with low column of the laboratory sink unit. Figure 5: Perspective view from the rear of the laboratory sink unit with low column, with the rear panel closed (for island position) Figure 6: Perspective view from the rear of the laboratory sink unit with low column, with the rear panel open (for wall mounting) Figure 7: Perspective view detail of the closure for sealing on the front corners of the laboratory sink cabinet. Figure 8: Perspective view of an example of a combined high column laboratory sink unit. Figure 9: Perspective view of an example of a special set of multiple accessories for a laboratory sink cabinet from the rear. Figure 10: Perspective view of an example of a special set of multiple accessories for a laboratory sink cabinet from the front. Figure 11: Perspective view of an example of a laboratory sink unit without a column. According to the embodiment shown, the laboratory sink unit illustrated in this preferred embodiment consists of a furniture structure comprising, in turn, an internal metal structure (1) of welded steel to which different components (2) are attached and screwed, forming a cabinet with cabinets, such as a countertop, cabinet doors and lining panels, forming custom furniture for each laboratory, provided with a column (4) for channeling water, fluid, gas and electricity supplies, as well as the different installations associated with said supplies such as taps, sockets, etc., and a sink assembly, in addition to the shelves and back panels or covers for closing the cabinets or the unit, when placed on an island, the aforementioned metal interior structure also resting on its lower part, on the floor, by means of legs provided with leveling feet. The aforementioned internal metal structure (1) is made of welded steel and the sides of the furniture are constructed by side closure panels (3), which are attached to the aforementioned internal metal structure with a system of magnets, as is the front baseboard (5). In this way, the interior of the furniture is easily accessible from both sides, with no more difficulty than removing the side closure panels, which are simply attached to the inner metal structure by a system of magnets. Furthermore, the aforementioned column (4) for supplying services is adapted to different dimensions, depending on the height of the service supply point, and can be a tall column, up to the ceiling when said supplies run through distribution networks in the ceiling of the laboratory. The structure thus defined constitutes a firm assembly that can be transported from the factory to be installed, or reinstalled when a reorganization is required in a laboratory. Furthermore, the described furniture structure constitutes a sturdy unit, supplied pre-assembled on a pallet, ready for immediate use and installation in a laboratory without the need for assembly. This also simplifies logistics and storage after manufacture. Once transported and placed in the laboratory, the installer will remove the magnetic closure side panels (3) and the toe boards (5), so that the sink can be easily placed in the appropriate location in the laboratory, fully assembled. The installation process is extremely simple, saving on installation costs and time. The installer simply needs to level the entire unit using the leveling feet, which are accessible after removing the plinths that attach to the internal metal structure with magnets. Once the furniture is leveled and in its correct position, the installer can make the connections for the supplies (fluids, gases, and electricity) that are applicable in each case. Once the installation of the aforementioned supplies is complete, the installer can replace the magnetic side panels, thus completing the installation of the furniture in the laboratory. Furthermore, the aforementioned front plinth (5), by magnetically attaching to the internal metal structure (1), creates a continuous seal with the floor. This continuous seal is achieved thanks to a small extension of the leg that conceals the leveler. In this way, the plinth is positioned between the legs. The sink unit has a finish that is aesthetically virtually identical to that of a traditional sink, since the internal metal structure is completely hidden. Finally, the shape, materials and dimensions may vary and in general, everything that is accessory and secondary, as long as it does not alter, change or modify the essence of the improvements that have been described.

Claims

1. Laboratory sink unit, consisting of a furniture structure comprising an internal metal structure (1), different components (2) such as a countertop, cabinet doors and cladding panels, which are customized for each laboratory, a column (4) for channeling water, fluid, gas and electricity supplies, as well as the different installations associated with said supplies such as taps, sockets, etc...and a sink assembly, in addition to shelves and back panels or covers for closing the cabinets or the unit, the aforementioned internal metal structure resting on the floor by means of legs provided with leveling feet, being characterized in that the aforementioned internal metal structure (1) is made of welded steel and the sides of the unit are constructed by side closure panels (3), which are attached to the aforementioned internal metal structure with a system of magnets, as is the front plinth (5).

2. Laboratory sink unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned column (4) for supplying services is adapted to different dimensions, depending on the height of the service supply point, and can be a tall column, reaching the ceiling when said supplies run through distribution networks in the ceiling of the laboratory. 3.Laboratory sink cabinet according to any of the above claims, characterized in that the aforementioned front plinth (5), by being magnetically attached to the inner metal structure (1), makes it possible to have a continuous sealing line with the floor, concealing the legs provided with leveling feet.