Bathroom fixtures

Abstract

To reduce the environmental impact of bathroom fixtures while ensuring the durability of the components that make up the frame, stile, or louvers of bathroom fixtures. [Solution] The bathroom fixture 1 comprises a frame 3, a stile 20, or a louver 30, and constituent members 4. At least a portion of the constituent members 4 is made of chemically treated wood that has undergone insizing and chemical treatment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to bathroom fixtures used in bathrooms.

Background Art

[0002] In a bathroom fixture having a frame and a shoji, the frame is installed in an opening of a building, and the shoji is connected to the frame so as to be openable and closable. The shoji is provided with a frame body and may be provided with a grille for ventilation in the bathroom. The frame, the frame body, and the grille of the bathroom fixture are each composed of respective constituent members, and each constituent member is exposed to the environment in the bathroom and comes into contact with water and water vapor. Further, as such a structure of a bathroom fixture, conventionally, a bathroom door structure having upper, lower, left, and right frames of a frame constituting an aluminum sash and upper, lower, left, and right frames of a frame body is known (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the conventional bathroom door structure described in Patent Document 1, the upper, lower, left, and right frames are constituent members constituting the frame, and the upper, lower, left, and right frames are constituent members constituting the frame body. By forming the constituent members from an aluminum alloy, the durability of the constituent members is ensured. However, in recent years, consideration for the environment has become important, and even in a bathroom fixture having constituent members constituting a frame, a frame body, or a grille, improvements are demanded from the viewpoint of environmental load. However, with respect to the constituent members of the bathroom fixture, durability is required so as to withstand long-term use in the bathroom, and durability against water and water vapor is also required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to reduce the environmental burden of bathroom fixtures while ensuring the durability of the components that make up the frame, stile, or louvers of bathroom fixtures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a bathroom fixture comprising a frame, a stile, or a component that constitutes a louver, The aforementioned component is a bathroom fixture made of chemically treated wood that has undergone insizing and chemical treatment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the environmental impact of bathroom fixtures while ensuring the durability of the components that make up the frame, stile, or louvers of bathroom fixtures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the bathroom fixture of this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] One embodiment of the bathroom fixture of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The bathroom fixture of this embodiment is a fixture used in a bathroom and is installed between the bathroom and the outside (e.g., a dressing room, outdoors). On the bathroom side, the bathroom fixture is exposed to the environment inside the bathroom and comes into direct contact with moisture (at least one of water and water vapor). In the following, the bathroom fixture of this embodiment will be described using the case where the bathroom fixture is a folding bathroom door as an example.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the bathroom fixture 1 of this embodiment, and the bathroom fixture 1 is shown viewed from diagonally above. As shown in the diagram, the bathroom fixture 1 is an openable and closable bathroom door (folding bathroom door) used in the bathroom, and is installed in the part of the building facing the bathroom. The bathroom fixture 1 is also installed at the entrance to the bathroom and is positioned between the bathroom and the dressing room.

[0011] When the bathroom fixture 1 installed in the building is viewed from the front, the up-and-down direction is the vertical direction R, and the left-and-right direction is the left-and-right direction S. In Figure 1, the up-and-down direction R is the vertical direction, and the left-and-right direction S is the horizontal direction. Thus, the direction of the bathroom fixture 1 is specified by its direction when installed in the building. Also, with respect to the bathroom fixture 1, the bathroom side and the dressing room side refer to the bathroom side and the dressing room side when installed in the building.

[0012] The bathroom fixture 1 comprises a door body 2 that can be opened and closed, and a frame body 3 that surrounds the door body 2. The bathroom fixture 1 and frame body 3 are installed in an opening in the building, and the bathroom fixture 1 is installed between two spaces in the building (bathroom and dressing room) that are separated by the door body 2. The frame body 3 is a rectangular opening frame (door frame) that forms the opening 3A, and the opening 3A of the frame body 3 is formed in a rectangular shape on the inside of the frame body 3.

[0013] Frame 3 has four interconnected frames 10-13 (upper frame 10, lower frame 11, and a pair of vertical frames 12 and 13), and the frames 10-13 form an opening 3A. The upper frame 10 and lower frame 11 are the upper and lower horizontal frames of frame 3, extending horizontally (left-right direction S) at the top and bottom of frame 3. The pair of vertical frames 12 and 13 are the side frames located on the left and right sides of frame 3, extending vertically (up-down direction R) at the sides of frame 3. The ends of the upper frame 10, lower frame 11, and the left and right vertical frames 12 and 13 are connected to form the framework of frames 10-13.

[0014] The door body 2 is positioned in the opening 3A of the frame body 3 and is connected to the frame body 3 so as to be openable and closable. The door body 2 is a foldable door body for folding doors and has two sashes 2A and 2B (first sash 2A and second sash 2B) arranged side by side. The opening 3A of the frame body 3 is opened and closed by the door body 2 and the sashes 2A and 2B.

[0015] The first sliding door 2A is a rectangular, rotating sliding door and is rotatably connected to the frame 3. The second sliding door 2B is a rectangular, movable sliding door and is rotatably connected to the frame 3. The first sliding door 2A and the second sliding door 2B are rotatably connected to each other. When the door body 2 is opened, the first sliding door 2A rotates toward the bathroom. At the same time, the second sliding door 2B rotates toward the bathroom while moving toward the first sliding door 2A. As a result, the door body 2 folds and protrudes toward the bathroom. Also, the door body 2 opens, and the opening 3A in the frame 3 is opened. When closing the door body 2, it unfolds and closes in the opposite motion to the opening motion.

[0016] Each of the shoji screens 2A and 2B has a rectangular frame 20, a panel 21 positioned inside the frame 20, and a louver 30 provided at the bottom of the frame 20. The panel 21 is a rectangular surface material that is fitted into and held by the frame 20. The panel 21 is made of synthetic resin, glass, or wood-based board. The wood-based board is a board made using chemically treated wood, such as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, or oriented strand board (OSB).

[0017] The frame body 20 has four interlocking frames 22-25 (upper frame 22, lower frame 23, and a pair of vertical frames 24, 25). The upper frame 22 and lower frame 23 are the upper and lower horizontal frames of the frame body 20, extending horizontally at the top and bottom of the frame body 20. The pair of vertical frames 24, 25 are the side frames located on the left and right sides of the frame body 20, extending vertically at the sides of the frame body 20. The ends of the upper frame 22, lower frame 23, and the left and right vertical frames 24, 25 are connected to form the frame of frames 22-25.

[0018] The louvers 30 are ventilation sections provided in the sliding doors 2A and 2B, and have louver material 31. The louvers 30 and louver material 31 are located inside the frame 20, below the panel 21, between the panel 21 and the lower frame 23, and are attached to the frame 20. The louvers 30 allow ventilation between the bathroom and the dressing room, and allow air to flow from the dressing room towards the bathroom. The louver material 31 extends horizontally between the left and right vertical frames 24 and 25, is connected to each of the vertical frames 24 and 25, and is installed across the left and right vertical frames 24 and 25.

[0019] The bathroom door 1 comprises a frame 3, a stile 20, or a louver 30, each consisting of constituent members 4. The constituent members 4 are provided on the frame 3, stile 20, or louver 30 and constitute at least a part of the frame 3, stile 20, or louver 30. Here, the bathroom door 1 comprises a plurality of constituent members 4 (4A to 4C) that constitute the frame 3, stile 20, and louver 30, respectively. The plurality of constituent members 4 consist of a constituent member that constitutes the frame 3 (frame constituent member 4A), a constituent member that constitutes the stile 20 (stile constituent member 4B), and a constituent member that constitutes the louver 30 (louver constituent member 4C). The constituent members 4 (4A to 4C) of the bathroom door 1 are positioned facing the bathroom and exposed to the environment inside the bathroom, and come into direct contact with moisture (at least one of water and water vapor).

[0020] Of the multiple component members 4, the frame component member 4A is provided on the frame 3 and constitutes at least a part of the frame 3. The stile component member 4B is provided on the stile 20 and constitutes at least a part of the stile 20. The louver component member 4C is provided on the louver 30 and constitutes at least a part of the louver 30. Here, the frame component member 4A is the frame 10-13 of the frame 3 (upper frame 10, lower frame 11, a pair of vertical frames 12, 13), and constitutes at least a part of each of the frames 10-13. The stile component member 4B is the stile 22-25 of the stile 20 (upper stile 22, lower stile 23, a pair of vertical stiles 24, 25), and constitutes at least a part of each of the stiles 22-25. The louver component member 4C is the louver material 31 of the louver 30 and constitutes at least a part of the louver material 31.

[0021] At least a part (a part or the whole) of the constituent member 4 (4A to 4C) is made of chemically treated wood that has been incised and chemically treated. Therefore, the constituent member 4 has a wood part made of chemically treated wood. The chemically treated wood and the wood part are provided in at least a part of the constituent member 4 and constitute at least a part of the constituent member 4. The chemically treated wood is wood that has been chemically treated, and here, in addition to the chemical treatment, incising has been performed. The chemical treatment is applied to at least the surface part of the chemically treated wood and the wood part, and is applied only to the surface part of the chemically treated wood and the wood part, or to the whole including the surface part of the chemically treated wood and the wood part.

[0022] Incising is a process of forming a plurality of cuts (here, holes) in the wood (raw wood) before chemical treatment. For example, it is hole processing by various lasers or hole processing by a drill. The wood is, for example, Japanese cypress or cedar, and the laser is, for example, an ultraviolet laser (UV laser) or a carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser). The plurality of holes are incising holes formed by incising and are formed in the wood at intervals from each other. Also, the plurality of holes are through holes that penetrate the wood or blind holes that are blocked inside the wood without penetrating the wood. The plurality of holes are formed dispersedly over the entire surface of the wood, each opening on the surface of the wood and opening toward the outside of the wood.

[0023] Chemical treatment is a modification treatment that chemically modifies (improves) wood. Using a chemical agent for chemical treatment, wood (here, wood subjected to incising) is modified. The wood is impregnated with the chemical agent used for chemical treatment in a state where a plurality of holes are formed and then chemically treated. The chemical agent is a liquid or gaseous chemical (modifier) that modifies wood and penetrates into the wood. Here, the chemical treatment is a modification treatment (durability treatment) that modifies the durability of wood. Chemically treated wood is wood whose durability has been modified by chemical treatment and has higher durability than wood that has not been chemically treated. The durability of wood is, for example, decay resistance, weather resistance, termite resistance, strength, and water resistance. In chemically treated wood, the absorption of moisture into the wood is suppressed, and dimensional changes of the wood are also suppressed.

[0024] Chemical treatment of wood is, for example, acetylation treatment, formalization treatment, phenol resin treatment, acrylic resin treatment, and furan resin treatment. Therefore, chemically treated wood that has undergone chemical treatment is, for example, acetylated wood (acetyl wood) that has undergone acetylation treatment, formalized wood (formaldehyde wood) that has undergone formalization treatment, phenol resin-treated wood impregnated with phenol resin, acrylic resin-treated wood impregnated with acrylic resin, and furan resin-treated wood impregnated with furan resin.

[0025] For example, in acetylation treatment, acetic anhydride is impregnated into the wood to cause an acetylation reaction in the wood and acetylate the wood. Thereby, water repellency is imparted to the chemically treated wood, water absorption of the chemically treated wood is suppressed, and durability of the chemically treated wood is ensured. Also, in furan resin treatment, furfuryl alcohol is impregnated into the wood to furan resinize furfuryl alcohol in the wood. Thereby, the furan resin fills the gaps in the tracheids of the chemically treated wood, water absorption of the chemically treated wood is suppressed, and durability of the chemically treated wood is ensured.

[0026] After incising is applied to the wood, a chemical treatment is performed on the wood. Alternatively, the wood is impregnated with chemicals used in the chemical treatment, and the wood is subjected to the chemical treatment to produce chemically treated wood. During the chemical treatment, the incised wood is immersed in a liquid chemical, or placed in a gaseous chemical, allowing the chemical to penetrate the wood. The multiple pores created by the incising process are penetrating pores that facilitate the penetration of the chemical into the wood. The wood and the multiple pores are exposed to and come into contact with the chemical. The chemical penetrates from the surface of the wood and the multiple pores into the interior of the wood, impregnating it. During this process, the chemical easily penetrates the wood through the multiple pores. Therefore, the chemical easily impregnates the wood, ensuring that the chemical treatment is reliably applied. Subsequently, the chemically treated wood is processed to form at least a portion (wooden part) of the component 4.

[0027] The ratio of the volume of chemically treated wood (wood portion) to the total volume of component 4 is 70% or more. The ratio of the volume of chemically treated wood is a percentage (volume %) based on the total volume of component 4, and the volume % of chemically treated wood is between 70% and 100% of the total volume of component 4. In each of component 4A to 4C, the volume % of chemically treated wood is 70% or more. Furthermore, chemical treatment is applied to the portion of the chemically treated wood of component 4 that is 2 mm or more from the surface. The chemical treatment is applied to at least the portion of the chemically treated wood that is 2 mm from the surface, and in this case, it is applied to the entire surface of the chemically treated wood.

[0028] In the bathroom fixture 1 described above, chemically treated wood is used for the component 4, making it possible to achieve a highly durable component 4 using naturally derived materials. Therefore, the environmental impact of the bathroom fixture 1 can be reduced while ensuring the durability of the component 4. In addition, the water resistance of the component 4 against moisture in the bathroom can be ensured.

[0029] Chemically treated wood is a material that does not easily change dimensions even when the temperature changes. However, if the volume percentage of chemically treated wood in component 4 is less than 70% by volume, there is a risk that the dimensional change of component 4 will be large due to temperature changes. On the other hand, if the volume percentage of chemically treated wood in component 4 is 70% by volume or more, the dimensional change of component 4 due to temperature changes can be suppressed, and component 4 can be stably installed in the bathroom fixture 1. Furthermore, it is also possible to suppress the expansion and contraction of component 4 due to temperature changes, thereby preventing deformation (for example, warping) of component 4.

[0030] If the chemically treated portion of chemically treated wood is less than 2 mm from the surface, there is a concern that moisture may penetrate into the untreated interior of the wood. Conversely, if the chemically treated portion of chemically treated wood is 2 mm or more from the surface, moisture penetration into the interior of the wood can be prevented. Therefore, the durability of the chemically treated wood can be reliably ensured.

[0031] Furthermore, the component 4 is provided on at least one of the frame 3, frame 20, and louvers 30. Therefore, the component 4 is provided on one or two of the frame 3, frame 20, and louvers 30, or on all of the frame 3, frame 20, and louvers 30. Also, the bathroom fixture 1 is not limited to a folding bathroom door, but may be other bathroom doors (e.g., a hinged bathroom door, a sliding bathroom door), or a bathroom fixture other than a bathroom door (e.g., a bathroom window).

[0032] As described above, this embodiment discloses the bathroom fixtures described in (1) to (3) below.

[0033] (1) Bathroom fixtures comprising a frame, a stile, or a component that constitutes a louver, Bathroom fixtures in which at least a portion of the aforementioned components are made of chemically treated wood that has undergone insizing and chemical treatment. (1) The bathroom fixtures described in (1) can reduce the environmental impact of the bathroom fixtures while ensuring the durability of the components that make up the frame, stile, or louvers of the bathroom fixtures.

[0034] (2) In the bathroom fixtures described in (1), Bathroom fixtures in which the ratio of the volume of the chemically treated wood to the total volume of the constituent members is 70% or more. (2) In the bathroom fixtures described above, changes in the dimensions of the constituent members due to temperature changes are suppressed, and the constituent members can be stably installed in the bathroom fixtures.

[0035] (3) In the bathroom fixtures described in (1) or (2), A bathroom fixture in which the chemical treatment is applied to a portion of the chemically treated wood that extends 2 mm or more from the surface. (3) The bathroom fixtures described can prevent moisture from penetrating into the interior of the chemically treated wood. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1... Bathroom fixtures, 2... Door body, 2A... First sliding door, 2B... Second sliding door, 3... Frame body, 3A... Opening, 4... Component parts, 4A... Frame body component parts, 4B... Frame body component parts, 4C... Louver component parts, 10... Upper frame, 11... Lower frame, 12... Vertical frame, 13... Vertical frame, 20... Frame body, 21... Panel, 22... Upper frame, 23... Lower frame, 24... Vertical frame, 25... Vertical frame, 30... Louver, 31... Louver material, R... Up and down direction, S... Left and right direction.

Claims

1. A bathroom fixture comprising a frame, a stile, or a component that constitutes a louver, Bathroom fixtures in which at least a portion of the aforementioned components are made of chemically treated wood that has undergone insizing and chemical treatment.

2. In the bathroom fixture described in claim 1, Bathroom fixtures in which the ratio of the volume of the chemically treated wood to the total volume of the constituent members is 70% or more.

3. In the bathroom fixture described in claim 1 or 2, A bathroom fixture in which the chemical treatment is applied to a portion of the chemically treated wood that extends 2 mm or more from the surface.

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