Mirror unit

Abstract

A mirror unit 100 comprises a first door 102 providing access to an internal storage area 112, with the first door comprising an at least partially mirrored surface (110, fig 1); and a cooling compart

Description

Field of the Invention

[01] The present disclosure relates to mirror units. In particular the present disclosure relates to mirror units which are suitable for use in a bathroom environment and allow for cold storage of items such as medication. Background

[02] A bathroom, or washroom, in a dwelling is commonly designed for performing personal hygiene activities and routines such as brushing teeth, shaving, applying makeup, and the like. In addition to personal hygiene, many (particularly elder) users utilise their bathroom for administering medications for a variety of reasons including convenience of location, access to running water, provision of mirrored surfaces, and often because medication is required at times of day when a user would be otherwise performing their morning and / or evening hygiene routines.

[03] Upon completion of their washroom activities, it is common for a user to store the items they just used within a storage cabinet. In many bathrooms such a cabinet is provided as part of a mirror unit attached to e.g., a wall above a sink.

[04] However, there is a problem in that many medications which a user may routinely take or apply require refrigeration in order to be properly effective, forcing the user to go back and forth between their fridge (which is commonly kept in a kitchen or utility room) to their bathroom, which disrupts their routine. Moreover, the separation between user and medication can often result in the user simply forgetting to administer their medicine.

[05] It is therefore desirable to provide a user with means by which they may better incorporate medicinal application into their bathroom routines, but ideally without requiring a change in their washroom habits.

[06] The example embodiments have been provided with a view to facilitating such means. Summary

[07] The present invention is defined according to the independent claims. Additional features will be appreciated from the dependent claims and the description herein. Any embodiments which are described but which do not fall within the scope of the claims are to be interpreted merely as examples useful for a better understanding of the invention.

[08] In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is described a mirror unit comprising a (first) door which provides access to an internal storage area and has at least partially mirrored surface. The mirror unit also comprises a (insulated) cooling compartment having a (second) door configured to seal the cooling compartment when closed. The storage area may be for storage of common bathroom items. The cooling compartment may be for storage of items requiring storage below room temperature. In this way is a user provided with a multipurpose (bathroom) unit having mirror, storage, and cooling, to better aid with self-care routines (e.g., taking medication after brushing teeth, etc).

[09] In an example, the cooling compartment comprises refrigeration means. Such refrigeration means may comprise a vapour compression loop for refrigerant fluid or a Peltier heat pump. The refrigeration means may be power by a battery.

[10] In an example, the cooling compartment is arranged within the internal storage area. A rear side of the cooling compartment may comprise a heat exchanger of the refrigeration means. The rear side may be spaced apart from a rear wall of the internal storage area, or may form a part of a rear wall of the internal storage area.

[11] In the case of a vapour compression loop, at least one of a compressor and evaporator of the loop may be arranged within the internal storage area (i.e., distributed throughout the internal storage area separate to the cooling compartment). Alternatively, at least one of the compressor and evaporator may be arranged within a cavity at a rear of the mirror unit.

[12] In an example, the cooling compartment may comprise one or both of thermal insulation and acoustic insulation.

[13] In an example, the front door and the second door are provided on different sides of the mirror unit. Brief Description of the Drawings

[14] For a better understanding of the present disclosure reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[15] Fig. 1 shows an example mirror unit; and

[16] Fig. 2 shows an open view of the example mirror unit of Fig. 1;

[17] Fig. 3 shows an alternative open view of the example of Fig. 1;

[18] Fig. 4 shows another example mirror unit; and

[19] Fig. 5 shows another example mirror unit. Detailed Description

[20] The present disclosure is concerned with a mirror unit which may aid a user with various routines which require chilled items. A primary usage of the described mirror unit is for the storage of medication, however it will be appreciated that other chilled items may also be stored such as baby milk, and so on. The mirror unit is particularly designed for use in a washroom (or similar room) of a dwelling.

[21] With reference to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown an example mirror unit 100 which is designed for use in a bathroom (or similar) environment in a dwelling. Suitably, the mirror unit 100 may be designed with a particular height, width, depth, and so on that is common in the industry. The mirror unit 100 may also comprise typical ancillary features such as demister pads, lighting, and the like. The mirror unit 100 may comprise mounting means configured to mount the mirror unit 100 to a wall of the dwelling. These and similarly common features are well known in the art and so are not described in detail here.

[22] The mirror unit 100 comprises a first door 102. The first door 102 may be provided on a forward-facing side 104 of the mirror unit 100. That is, a side 104 which is opposite a rear side 106 which is proximate to a wall 108 on which the mirror unit 100 may be mounted. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto and the first door 102 may be provided on any side of the mirror unit 100 except the rear side 106.

[23] The first door comprises a mirrored surface 110. The mirrored surface 110 may be fully or only partially reflective. Put another way, the first door 102 may comprise an at least partially mirrored surface. A perimeter of the mirrored surface 110 may be substantially coincident with the edges of the first door 102, or may be formed on only a part of the first door 102; e.g., an upper half of the first door 102, a lower half, a left side, a right side, a corner portion, and so on. The mirrored surface 110 is preferably provided on an external face of the first door 102, but in some examples may be provided on an internal face of the first door 102.

[24] The first door 102 provides access to an internal storage area 112. The internal storage area 112 may comprise at least one shelf 114 on which items may be stored. For example bathroom items such as toothbrushes, soap, creams, and the like.

[25] The mirror unit 100 comprises a cooling compartment 116. The cooling compartment 116 may similarly comprise at least one shelf 118 for the storage of items thereon; in this case, the intended usage is for items which require cooling below typical room temperature (e.g., below approximately 20 degrees Celsius) such as certain types of medication, baby milk, and so on. That is, items which require cooling but which are otherwise useful to have easy access to when in or near the bathroom, such as during morning or evening self-care routines. Suitably, the cooling compartment may comprise thermal insulation. In some embodiments, thermal insulation is on its own sufficient to provide thermal shielding from the outside environment such that the inside of the cooling compartment is at or below a desired temperature. In other embodiments, however active cooling may be preferred.

[26] The cooling compartment comprises a second door 120 which provides access to the internal area of the cooling compartment 116 and which is configured to seal the cooling compartment 116 when the second door 120 is closed. Preferably, the second door 120 is configured to hermetically seal the cooling compartment 116 when closed so that cool air inside the compartment 116 cannot escape.

[27] In the present example the cooling compartment 116 is arranged within the internal storage area 112. Suitably, in this example, the second door 120 may only be accessed when the first door 102 is also open.

[28] Other arrangements of the cooling compartment 116 are however possible. In one example, the cooling compartment 116 may take up space within the storage area 112, but not be accessible via the first door 102 and the storage area 112. Instead, the second door 120 may be provided on a different side of the mirror unit 100 to the first door 102, as demonstrated by Figure 4. In another example, the cooling compartment 116 may have its own dedicated space within the body of the mirror unit 100, separate but adjacent to the internal storage area 112. Suitably, the second door 120 may be arranged on an outside of the mirror unit 102 so that it is accessible without requiring to open the first door 102. For example, the second door 120 may be arranged on the same, forward facing, side of the mirror unit 100 as demonstrated by Figure 5.

[29] Returning to Figures 1 to 3, the cooling compartment 116 may comprise refrigeration means for active cooling of the compartment 116. Suitably, the mirror unit 100 may comprise means for supplying power to the refrigeration unit, such as connections to mains power supply or connections to a battery housed by the mirror unit 100.

[30] The refrigeration means may comprise a heat exchanger for transferring heat from the internal air of the cooling unit to the outside environment. Preferably, such means may be arranged on a rear side 122 of the cooling compartment 116 (that is, the side opposite the side with the second door 120) so that it is not visible to a user of the compartment.

[31] Suitably, in one example, the rear side 122 of the cooling compartment may be spaced apart from the rear side 106 of the mirror unit 100, such that there is, in essence, and internal cavity in the storage area 112 between the cooling compartment 116 and its rear inner wall; in this case vents may be provided in the rear wall 106 or a nearby side wall of the mirror unit 100 to allow venting of hot air from the mirror unit 100.

[32] Alternatively, the rear side 122 of the cooling compartment 116 may form a constituent part of the rear wall 106 of the mirror unit, so that the heat exchanger transfers heat into a space behind the mirror unit 100. Suitably, the mirror unit 100 may comprise a spacer which causes the mirror unit to be spaced apart from the wall 108 when mounted. The spacer may be part of the mounting means, or may take the form of a part of a frame, or integral body part of the mirror unit 100, which gives the impression that the mirror unit 100 is flush with the wall on which it is mounted, but which allows for a cavity to exist between the rear side 106 of the mirror unit and the wall 108.

[33] In either case, careful consideration should be given to the depth of the cavity in the internal storage area 112 or the cavity between rear side 106 and wall 108.

[34] In an example, the refrigeration means comprise a vapour compression cycle, as is common in domestic fridges and freezers. That is, the refrigeration means may comprise a compressor, a condenser (i.e., the heat exchanger referenced above), an expander, and an evaporator configured in a loop circulating refrigerant fluid (such as R134a).

[35] In one example, the vapour compression cycle is formed as an integral part of the cooling compartment 116. That is, the cooling compartment 116 forms part of a single refrigeration unit which may be installed inside the storage area 112. Suitably, components of the vapour compression cycle, particularly the compressor and evaporator, may be considered collocated with the cooling compartment 116.

[36] In another example, the vapour compression cycle is provided as a separate installation to the cooling compartment 116 (that is, not provided as an integrated refrigeration unit). Suitably, in this case, the components of the refrigeration means may be distributed in the mirror unit 100 elsewhere to the cooling compartment 116, in order to provide greater space for the cooling compartment 116 (at the expense of space elsewhere).

[37] For example, one or both of the compressor and evaporator may be arranged within the storage area 112, such as within a space 124 adjacent to the cooling compartment 116 (e.g., above the compartment 116, as in Fig. 3).

[38] Alternatively, one or both of the compressor and the evaporator may be arranged within a cavity at the rear of the mirror unit 100. That is, in the example of Fig. 3, the space 124 in which the compressor and / or evaporator may be arranged may be open to the rear of the mirror unit 100, such that the rear side 106 of the internal storage area is essentially distended by a cavity corresponding to the space 124. It will be appreciated that, in this example, the cavity in which the compressor and / or evaporator may be arranged may be the same cavity at the rear of the mirror unit to which the heat exchanger transfers heat (either by being provided on the rear side of the mirror unit or via a vent from the internal cavity).

[39] In another example, the refrigeration means may comprise a Peltier cooler, sometimes termed a Peltier heat pump. In this case it will be appreciated that the aforementioned heat exchanger may be a hot face of the Peltier heat pump. Advantageously, such coolers can run entirely silently.

[40] Although vapour compressors or Peltier coolers are preferred forms of refrigeration means may also be utilised without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[41] Regardless of heat exchange means, the cooling compartment may comprise a fan for circulation of air in order to improve cooling. Fans can be noisy, however, and so in this example the cooling compartment may comprise acoustic insulation (e.g., as a form of cladding) to dampen noise from the fan. Other components of the refrigeration means may be similarly noisy, depending on the exact means employed, and so such components may be similarly cladded in acoustic insulation to dampen any sounds produced.

[42] In summary, exemplary embodiments of an improved mirror unit have been described. The described exemplary embodiments provide a mirror unit that conveniently allows for storage of chilled objects. Additionally, the described exemplary embodiments are convenient to manufacture and straightforward to install and use.

[43] The exemplary mirror units may be manufactured industrially, an industrial application of the example embodiments will be clear from the discussion herein.

[44] Although preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[45] Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[46] All of the features disclosed in this specification, and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive.

[47] Each feature disclosed in this specification may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[48] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification, or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A mirror unit, comprising:a first door providing access to an internal storage area, the first door comprising an at least partially mirrored surface;a cooling compartment comprising a second door configured to seal the cooling compartment when closed.

2. The mirror unit of claim 1, wherein the cooling compartment comprises refrigeration means.

3. The mirror unit of claim 2, wherein the refrigeration means comprises a vapourcompression loop for refrigerant fluid.

4. The mirror unit of claim 3, wherein at least one of a compressor and evaporator are arranged within the internal storage area.

5. The mirror unit of claim 3, wherein at least one of a compressor and evaporator are arranged within a cavity at a rear of the mirror unit6. The mirror unit of claim 2, wherein the refrigeration means comprises a Peltier heat pump.

7. The mirror unit of any of claims 2 to 6, further comprising a battery for powering therefrigeration means.

8. The mirror unit of any preceding claim, wherein the cooling compartment is arranged within the internal storage area.

9. The mirror unit of claim 8, wherein a rear side of the cooling compartment comprises a heat exchanger of the refrigeration means.

10. The mirror unit of claim 9, wherein the rear side of the cooling compartment is spaced apart from a rear wall of the internal storage area.

11. The mirror unit of claim 9, wherein the rear side of the cooling compartment forms a part of a rear wall of the internal storage area.

12. The mirror unit of any preceding claim, wherein the cooling compartment comprises thermal insulation.

13. The mirror unit of any preceding claim, wherein the cooling compartment comprises acoustic insulation.

14. The mirror unit of any preceding claim, wherein the front door and the second door are provided on different sides of the mirror unitA

Images