Adjustable Wash Basin Fixing Plate for Variable Hole Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mounting wall-mounted wash basins face challenges in achieving accurate, strong, and secure fixings due to varying hole distances and weights, especially on poor-quality brick walls or plasterboard constructions.
Innovation Solution
A steel fixing plate with multiple holes and elevator bolts is designed to be mounted on the wall, allowing for adjustable positioning of the wash basin, with a milled recess for flush bolt heads and a central aperture for easy alignment with the wash basin's fixing holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If two individual fixing bolts are used to mount the wash basin, then the mounting process is simple, but the fixing strength and accuracy are insufficient especially on poor-quality walls
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing system is divided into two separate components: a fixing plate that is first mounted to the wall using multiple fixings, and then the wash basin is attached to the plate. This segmentation allows the wall mounting and basin attachment to be independent operations, enabling more robust wall fixings while maintaining ease of installation.
Solution Approach 2:
A fixing plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the wall and the wash basin. The plate serves as a mediator that distributes the load across multiple wall fixings and provides precise positioning features (apertures and recesses) for aligning and securing the basin, thereby improving overall fixing reliability without complicating the installation process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the distance between fixing holes varies (10mm-300mm), then different wash basin designs are accommodated, but achieving accurate alignment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing plate incorporates adjustable features including a long rectangular aperture that allows elevator bolts to be positioned at various locations along the aperture length, and multiple wall fixing holes that can be used in different combinations. This dynamic adjustability enables precise alignment with wash basins having different hole spacings while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows changing of critical parameters: the position of elevator bolts along the rectangular aperture, the selection of which wall fixing holes to use, and the depth of the milled recess. These parameter adjustments enable the same fixing plate to accurately accommodate wash basins with varying hole distances (10mm-300mm) while maintaining precise alignment.
3Strength
If heavy wash basins (1kg-20kgs or more) are mounted, then the basin can be made more durable, but the fixing becomes more difficult especially on plasterboard or stud walls
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing system separates the wall mounting function (handled by the fixing plate with multiple anchor points) from the basin attachment function (handled by the elevator bolts and nuts). This allows the plate to be securely mounted to the wall structure first, distributing the heavy load across multiple fixings, making the overall process easier even for 20kg+ basins.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing plate acts as an intermediary that interfaces with the wall structure through multiple fixings, providing a stable mounting base. The plate's rigid structure and multiple attachment points enable it to support heavy wash basins (1-20kg+) while simplifying the installation process on various wall types including plasterboard and stud walls.
4Reliability
If a large fixing plate is used to ensure strength, then the fixing reliability improves, but the plate becomes visible after installation
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing plate is designed with a milled recess (1-5mm depth, 36mm width, 336mm length) that receives the elevator bolt heads, creating a flush or recessed appearance. This local modification to the plate's surface quality allows the plate to maintain its structural integrity and size for reliability while becoming visually discreet when the basin is in place.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A wall mounted fixing plate (8) for fixing a washbasin (1) to a wall (4), the plate having - multiple countersunk fixing holes (10), - a central bigger hole (9), - a slot (11) connecting on two sides of the central hole, the slot (11) having a milled recess in the rear (12), wherein flat headed, threaded bolts (17) may be inserted through the front hole (9) and may be adjusted via the slot (11) to the appropriate distances apart. In use, the wash basin (1) may be fixed to the wall (4) by such plate and the bolts (17) adjusted to the appropriate positions in accord with the wash basin's fixing hole distance.