Apron-Front Sink

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/426,112, filed on Jan. 29, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/694,004, filed Mar. 14, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,918,113, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/293,042, filed Mar. 5, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,278,116, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/922,847, filed Oct. 26, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,226,122, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/310,460, filed Dec. 2, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,173,487, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/449,585, filed Mar. 4, 2011. The entire disclosures of all the foregoing U.S. applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of sinks. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the field of apron-front sinks.

Sinks are vessels generally configured for receiving water. Usually, a faucet or other water source is located proximate to the sink, and a drain pipe is coupled to the sink to remove unwanted water. A sink is often mounted on or into a cabinet, stand, or pedestal. A sink may be mounted such that a rim of the sink rests on a countertop of a cabinet. This is generally referred to as self-rimming. Alternatively, a sink may be mounted such that the rim of the sink is located below the countertop. This is generally referred to as under-counter mounted or under-mounted.

Apron-front sinks, which include farmhouse sinks, have an exposed panel extending laterally across a front portion of the sink. One continuing challenge in the field of apron-front sinks relates to fitting the sink into the cabinet. Installation of an apron-front sink usually requires precise and repeated cuts to fit the sink to the front of the cabinet without leaving unsightly gaps between the apron and the cabinet. This custom fitting method takes time and requires an installer to repeatedly lift a heavy sink to check for fit.

Another continuing challenge in the field of apron-front sinks relates to retrofitting. Usually apron-front sinks will not fit into standard, stock, or off-the-shelf non-apron-front cabinetry due to the width of the sink and the height of the cabinet's lower doors. Alternatively, such retrofits require extensive modifications to the cabinet or installation of an undersized sink.

One embodiment relates to a sink. The sink includes a basin having a first side wall, an opposite second side wall and a front wall. The sink also includes a rim supported at and extending outwardly from an upper end of the first and second side walls in a substantially horizontal orientation. The sink further includes an apron extending vertically below the rim and laterally between a first end and an opposite second end to define a front portion of the sink. The first end of the apron extends outwardly past the rim associated with the first side wall and the second end of the apron extends outwardly past the rim associated with the second side wall.

Another embodiment relates to a sink. The sink includes a basin having a first side wall, an opposite second side wall and a front wall. The sink also includes a rim supported at and extending outwardly from an upper end of the first and second side walls in a substantially horizontal orientation. The sink further includes an apron coupled to the rim and extending vertically below the rim. The apron extends laterally between a first end and an opposite second end to define a front portion of the sink. The front wall of the basin is angled downwardly and rearwardly from the rim to a floor of the basin.

Another embodiment relates to a sink assembly. The sink assembly includes a cabinet having a front wall defining a recess and a sink supported by the cabinet and received by the recess. The sink includes a basin having a first side wall, an opposite second side wall and a front wall. The sink also includes a rim supported at and extending outwardly from an upper end of the first and second side walls in a substantially horizontal orientation. The sink further includes an apron extending vertically below the rim and laterally between a first end and an opposite second end to define a front portion of the sink. The first end of the apron extends outwardly past the rim associated with the first side wall and the second end of the apron extends outwardly past the rim associated with the second side wall.

Referring generally to the FIGURES, sinks and components thereof are shown according to exemplary embodiments. The sinks may be installed in various environments including a kitchen or bathroom. The sinks are designed to replace and/or be installed in instead of a conventional sink to provide a user with the appearance of a traditional apron front or farmhouse sink without requiring significant modifications to the cabinetry or other support structures that may otherwise be required for traditional apron front and farmhouse sinks.

The sinks generally include one or more basins and a front apron coupled to the one or more basins. The one or more basins are defined by a floor and one or more sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor. The sink may have any number of basins. For example, the sink may have one, two, or more basins. Alternatively, the sink may have a single basin divided into two or more reservoirs. The basins or reservoirs may be separated by one or more dividers (e.g., separator, structure, hump, ridge, etc.), such as a saddle. The saddle may be of any height, but preferably remains below the rim plane of the sink. The saddle may divide the sink into multiple equal or unequal sized basins or reservoirs.

The sinks also include a flange or rim outwardly extending from a top edge or portion of the sidewalls. The apron, which is coupled to the front wall of the basin via the same or similar rim, extends downwardly from the rim and laterally between a first end and a second end to define a front portion of the sink. The first and second ends of the apron extend laterally beyond the outer periphery of the rim associated with each corresponding side wall. Extending the ends of the apron past the outer periphery of the rim may allow the ends of the apron to at least partially overlap a face of the cabinetry to conceal possible cut lines and/or openings in the face of the cabinetry.

Before discussing further details of the sinks and/or the components thereof, it should be noted that references to “front,” “back,” “rear,” “upper,” “lower,” “right,” and “left” in this description are merely used to identify the various elements as they are oriented in the FIGURES, with “right,” “left,” “front,” “back,” and “rear” being relative to a user facing the sink, and with “lateral” being left-right as viewed by the user. These terms are not meant to limit the element which they describe, as the various elements may be oriented differently in various applications.

It should further be noted that for purposes of this disclosure, the term coupled means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or moveable in nature and/or such joining may allow for the flow of fluids, electricity, electrical signals, or other types of signals or communication between the two members. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature.

Referring to, a sinkis shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Sinkincludes at least one receptacle for receiving and/or holding water (e.g., a reservoir, washbasin, bowl, etc.), shown as a basin. Basinmay have a variety of shapes, for example, circular, oval, polygonal, or sections of the shapes thereof (e.g. circle sector). According to the embodiment shown, basinis substantially rectangular with a lateral width dimension (i.e., side-to-side) being greater than the depth dimension (i.e., front-to-back).

Basinis shown as including a floor. Floormay have a variety of shapes and textures. Floordefines one or more apertures, shown as drain, that allows water to be removed from basin. As shown, drainis substantially circular and located in rear right portion of floor. According to the various alternative embodiments, drainmay be non-circular and may be located elsewhere in the floor (e.g., in a front portion, a left portion, a rear portion, a right portion, centrally, or some combination thereof, etc.). Drainis shown as being defined by a lip. Drainmay be coupled to a drain pipe and/or a garbage disposal mechanism, which is in tum coupled to a municipal sewerage system or to a septic system. According to an exemplary embodiment, flooris sloped towards drainsuch that water in basinflows toward drainby gravitational force. According to the various alternative embodiments, the sidewalls of basinmay be continuously curved such that no discernable floor is formed.

Basinis also shown as including a plurality of sidewalls (generically referred to together as sidewalls) which extend generally upwardly from floor. According to the embodiment illustrated, basinincludes a front sidewall(e.g., the sidewall of the front portion), a left sidewall, a right sidewall, and a rear sidewall. Front sidewallextends laterally across a front portion of basin, rear sidewallextends laterally across a rear portion of basin, left sidewall extends front-to-back between front sidewalland rear sidewallalong a first side portion of basin(e.g., a left side portion) and right sidewallextends front-to-back between front sidewalland rear sidewallalong a second side portion of basin(e.g., a right side portion, etc.).

According to an exemplary embodiment, sidewallsare coupled to floorat generally rounded corners which provide continuous surface transitions. For example, rear sidewallcouples floorat bottom basin corner. Bottom basin corneris shown to be continuously curved. As shown in, the transition between sidewalland floorcomnis generally concave. According to the various alternative embodiments, the this transition region may be angled and/or have discontinuously curved surface transitions from floorto sidewall. The rounded corners for each of corners floorto front sidewall, floorto left sidewall, floorto right sidewall, and floorto rear sidewallmay have the same or different radii of curvature.

According to an exemplary embodiment, sidewallsare coupled to each other at generally rounded corners which provide continuous surface transitions. For example, right sidewallis shown to couple rear sidewallat side basin corner. Side basin corneris shown to be continuously curved. As shown in, the transition between adjacent sidewallsis generally concave. According to the various alternative embodiments, this transition region may be angled and/or have discontinuously curved surface transitions between adjacent sidewalls. The rounded corners for each of corners front sidewallto left sidewall, left sidewallto rear sidewall, rear sidewallto right sidewall, and right sidewallto front sidewallmay have the same or different radii of curvature.

Basinis further shown as including one or more flanges or rims (generically referred to as a rim) that at least partially define an outer and/or upper periphery of basin. Rimis shown as being provided at a top edge or portion of sidewalland extending generally outwardly (i.e., in a direction opposite the center of the sink) therefrom. According to the embodiment illustrated, basinincludes a front rim, a left rim, a right rim, and a rear rim. Front rimextends outwardly from a top edge or portion of front sidewall, left rimextends outwardly from a top edge or portion of left sidewall, right rimextends outwardly from a top edge or portion of right sidewall, and rear rimextends outwardly from a top edge or portion of rear sidewall. The thickness of rimmay be the same or different than the thickness of sidewall. Further, the individual thicknesses of each of front rim, left rim, right rim, and/or rear rimmay be the same or different. The individual widths of each of front rim, left rim, right rim, and/or rear rimmay also be the same or different. According to the embodiment illustrated, left rimand right rimhave a substantially similar width, which is larger than the width of rear rim. Providing a narrower rear rimmay provide additional clearance for faucets, soap dispensers, etc. that are likely to be mounted behind the sink. Providing a wider left rimand right rimmay provide additional surface areas for mounting the sink to an underside of a countertop as detailed below. Front rim, left rim, right rim, and rear rimare shown to form a continuous rim surface. According to alternative embodiments, rimmay be formed of discontinuous rim segments.

According to an exemplary embodiment, sinkis configured to be supported by rim. For example, sinkmay be supported by an underside surface of rim, such as by having rimrest on top of a countertop or any other suitable support surface. According to an exemplary embodiment, sinkis configured to be supported by having a bottom portion of rimdirectly engage the support structure. According to another embodiment, rimmay be supported against a bottom surface of a countertop. For example, a top surface of rimmay be coupled to a bottom surface of a countertop or support structure via one or mechanical fasteners and/or an adhesive.

According to an exemplary embodiment, each rimis coupled to each adjacent sidewallat generally rounded corners which provide continuous surface transitions. For example, rear rimis shown to as being coupled to rear sidewallat top basin corner, which is shown to be continuously curved. As shown in, the transition between rimand the corresponding sidewallis generally convex. According to alternative embodiments, this transition region may be angled and/or have discontinuously curved surface transitions from rimto adjacent sidewall. The rounded corners for each of corners front rimto front sidewall, left rimto left sidewall, right rimto right sidewall, and rear rimto rear sidewallmay have the same or different radii of curvature.

Rimdefines a first plane (e.g., top plane), shown as rim plane(see). According to the embodiment illustrated, front rim, left rim, right rimand/or rear rimcooperate to define rim plane. According to the exemplary embodiment, rim panelis a generally horizontal plane. Rimmay be sloped slightly inward so that any fluid collected on the rim will be directed towards basinand ultimately towards drain. For example, a portion of rimproximate sidewallmay be lower than a portion of rimdistal sidewall. According to the embodiment illustrated, front rimis supported at an angle of approximately 2 degrees relative to rim plane, but according to the various alternative embodiments, may be supported at angles greater or less than the example provided.

Referring back to, left rimhas a first edge, shown as left rim edge, and right rimhas a second edge, shown as right rim edge. Left rim edgeand/or right rim edgemay at least partially define an outer periphery of basin. According to an exemplary embodiment, the distance from left rim edgeto right rim edgeis approximately 34 inches, and the distance from left sidewallto right sidewallis approximately 31 inches. According to another exemplary embodiment, left rim edgeand right rim edgeare approximately 31 inches apart, for a reservoir that has a width of approximately 28 inches. According to the embodiment illustrated, left rim edgeand right rim edgeare approximately 28 inches apart for a reservoir that has a width of approximately 25 inches. According to various alternative embodiments, the rim may be sized to be greater or less than the dimensions provided above.

Referring back to, apronextends laterally across a front portion of basinto define a front portion of the sink that is configured to be visible to a user when installed. As shown, apronis coupled to the basinand is supported at a substantially vertical orientation. According to an exemplary embodiment, apronincludes a first surface (e.g., structure, member, etc.), shown as top flange, a second surface (e.g., structure, member, etc.), shown as front face, a first end surface, shown as left end portion, and a second end surface, shown as right end portion. Left end portionis shown as being located laterally opposite of right end portion.

Top flangeextends outwardly in a forward direction from front sidewalland front rim. According to various embodiments, a top surface of apronmay be substantially defined by top flange, rim, or any combination thereof. According to the embodiment illustrated, the transition from top flangeto front rimis substantially continuous. Similarly, the transition from top flangeto left rim, and the transition from top flangeto right rim, is also substantially continuous. According to an exemplary embodiment, front faceextends generally downwardly from top flangein a vertical direction.

Top flangeis shown to extend laterally to left end portionand to right end portion. Left end portionand right end portionform extension or wing portions that are configured to at least partially overlap or cover a portion of the cabinetry or other structure upon which the sink is supported. Left end portionincludes an end surface, shown as left end surfacethat extends generally rearwardly. Left end surfacehas a rear edgethat is configured to abut or be positioned adjacent a front face of the cabinetry supporting sink. According to the embodiment illustrated, left end surfaceand/or rear edgedefine a lateral extremity of apronand a rearward extremity of left end portion. Similarly, right end portionincludes an end surface, shown as right end surfacethat extends generally rearwardly. Right end surfacehas a rear edgethat is configured to abut or be positioned adjacent a front face of the cabinetry supporting sink. According to the embodiment illustrated, right end surfaceand/or rear edgedefine a lateral extremity of apronand a rearward extremity of right end portion.

According to an exemplary embodiment, top flangecouples each of front face, left end surface, and right end surfaceat generally rounded corners which provide a continuous surface transition. For example, top flangeis shown to couple front faceat top apron corner. Top apron corneris shown to be continuously curved. Referring to, the transition region between top flangeand front faceis generally convex. According to the various alternative embodiments, this transition region be angled and/or have discontinuously curved surface transitions from top flangeto front face. The rounded corners for each of corners top flangeto front face, top flangeto left end surface, and top flangeto right end surfacemay have the same or different radii of curvature.

According to an exemplary embodiment, front facecouples each of left end surfaceand right end surfaceat generally rounded corners which provide a continuous surface transition. For example, front faceis shown to couple left end surfaceat side apron corner. Side apron corneris shown to be continuously curved. Referring to, the transition region between front faceand left end surfaceis generally convex. According to the various alternative embodiments, this transition region may be angled and/or have discontinuously curved surface transitions from front faceto left end surface. The rounded corners for each of corners front faceto left end surfaceand front faceto right end surfacemay have the same or different radii of curvature.

As shown in, apronextends laterally beyond rim. Specifically, left end portionextends leftward of left rim, while right end portionextends rightward of right rim. In this manner, left end portionand right end portionextends laterally beyond the outer periphery defined by rim. According to an exemplary embodiment, apronis also wider than basin.

In certain applications, having apronextend beyond the width of basin rimmay allow a customer or installer to cut an opening in a cabinet face and to set the sink in the cabinet with little cabinet modification and/or without being concerned about making a precise cut in the cabinetry that would be visible to a user after the sink is installed. In such an application, left end surfaceand right end surfaceextend beyond the area in which cuts are made in the cabinetry to install sink. Thus, apronoverlaps the front face of the cabinet and may extend nearly the width of the cabinet. Traditional sinks having an equivalent apron width would require an installer to cut into the walls of the cabinet all the way to the ends of the apron. Furthermore, placing left end surfaceand right end surfacefarther outward facilitates aligning the lateral ends of the apron with the lateral edges of doors below the installed sink.

Referring to, a backside of aprondefines a second plane, shown as rear apron plane, defined by rear edgeand rear edge. Rear apron planeis shown as being substantially vertical. According to the embodiment illustrated, rear apron planeis substantially perpendicular to rim planeand substantially parallel to front face. Having a substantially vertical rear apron plane provides a substantially flat backside to the apron. Rear apron planemay be configured to abut a front surface of a cabinet when sinkis in an installed position. As such, when sinkis installed, the apron may fit flush against the front of the cabinet instead of dropping into a cut or an opening. This may save the installer iterative cutting and fitting, which requires repeated lifting of the sink.

The height of apronmay vary depending on the application. For example, sinkmay include a full apron, as shown in, which includes a taller front face′ or may include a short apron, as shown in, which includes a shorter front face. According to the embodiment shown in, front face′ extends downward from rim planebetween approximately 8 inches and 9 inches, while front faceof the embodiment shown inextends downward from rim planebetween approximately 6 inches and 7 inches. The height of apronmay depend on a number of factors including the size of the opening from a false drawer front that the apron needs to conceal, the available space between the tops of the doors and the top of the cabinet, etc.

Apronis also shown as including a third end portion, shown as bottom end portion. Bottom end portionincludes a third end surface, shown as bottom end surface. According to one embodiment, bottom end surfaceextends generally rearwardly from front surface. Bottom end surfacehas a rear edgethat is coplanar with rear apron plane. According to the embodiment shown, rear apron planeis defined by rear edge, rear edge, and bottom edge.

According to an exemplary embodiment, bottom end surfaceis coupled to each of front face, left end surface, and right end surfaceat generally rounded corners which provide a continuous surface transition. According to the embodiment illustrated, this transition region is continuously curved and generally convex. According to the various alternative embodiments, this transition region may be angled and/or have discontinuously curved surface transitions from the bottom end surface to the adjacent surfaces. The rounded corners for each of corners bottom end surfaceto front face, bottom end surfaceto left end surface, and bottom end surfaceto right end surfacemay have the same or different radii of curvature. According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the radii of curvature for the corners adjacent to bottom end surfaceare greater than the radii of curvature for the corners adjacent to top flange, for example, top apron corner.

A back side of apronis shown as defining a cavity(e.g., recess, depression, carve-out, hollow, etc. Cavitymay be formed by a variety of methods. According to an exemplary embodiment, sinkis formed of cast iron and cavityis formed by placing an insert into the mold prior to casting sink. Cavitymay reduce the amount of material in sink, which may reduce the overall weight of sink. Cavitymay also reduce the weight of the apron cantilevered from basinwhen sinkis in an installed position, thus reducing the load on top flange. Reducing the weight of the apron cantilevered from basinfacilitates positioning front facefarther forward. Positioning front facefarther forward enables positioning a top portion of front sidewallfarther forward, which facilitates access to the reservoir by a user. Positioning front facefarther forward may define a drip line from apronfarther forward than front surfaces of doors located below apronwhen sinkis in an installed position. Cavityremoves material from a rear portion of apron, which allows rear apron planeto be defined by edges,, and, thus facilitating tighter control of tolerances.

Apronhas a rear surfacedisposed on the reverse of front face. Rear surfacemay at least partially define cavity. According to one embodiment, rear surfaceis generally concave. According to the embodiment illustrated, the cross section of apronis substantially C-shaped in a vertical direction, with the opening of the “C” facing rearwardly towards basin. Left end portionand right end portionare shown to have substantially a C-shape in a lateral direction with the open portions of the “C”'s facing towards each other as shown in.

Referring back to, and the configuration of the sidewallsof basin, front sidewallis shown as being provided at an angle relative to rim plane. According to an exemplary embodiment, front sidewallis supported at an angle relative to rim planeof between approximately 65 and 75 degrees. Preferably, front sidewallis supported at an angle relative to rim planeof between approximately 69 and 73 degrees. According to the embodiment illustrated, front sidewallis supported at an angle relative to rim planeof approximately 71 degrees. According to the various alternative embodiments, front sidewallmay be provided at any angle relative to the rim planethat slants that front sidewalltowards the center of basin.

Considering a different reference point, front sidewallis supported at an angle relative to rear apron planeof between approximately 15 and 25 degrees. Preferably, front sidewallis supported at an angle relative to rear apron planeof between approximately 17 and 21 degrees. According to the embodiment illustrated, front sidewallis supported at an angle relative to rear apron planeof approximately 19 degrees. According to the various alternative embodiments, front sidewallmay be provided at any angle relative to the rear apron planethat slants that front sidewalltowards the center of basin. According to the embodiment shown, a bottom portion of front sidewallis rearward of rear apron plane, and a top portion of sidewallis forward of rear apron plane.

Supporting front sidewallat an angle may reduce a fore-aft dimension of top flangewhile locating floorwithin a cabinet and locating front faceforward of doors located below apronwhen sinkis in an installed position. Positioning front facefarther forward of the doors may define a drip line from apronfarther forward than front surfaces of the doors, thus helping to keep fluid from flowing into the cabinet or staining the doors. Reducing the fore-aft dimension of top flangemay provide an aesthetic benefit, facilitate user access the reservoir, and reduce the weight cantilevered from basin. Supporting the front sidewallat the above specified angles may allow front sidewallto pass over the bottom edge of a drawer opening in the front face of the cabinet, thus reducing the amount of modification to the cabinet required prior to installing sinkinto the cabinet. Supporting front sidewallat an angle may also assist in directing fluid or other waste towards the drain.

As shown in, bottom end portion, bottom end surface, and bottom edgeare offset or spaced apart from front sidewall. According to an exemplary embodiment, no supports (e.g. structures, members, spars, flanges, webs, etc.) extend between front sidewalland apronother than rim. Disconnecting the bottom of apronfrom front sidewallenables a portion the cabinet to fit between the apron and the basin. This enables apronto be installed flush to a front face of the cabinet. Further this requires less precise cutting by an installer because the cut edges of the cabinet will be hidden from view.

Sinkmay also include one or more feetor other structure to help stabilize and/or support the sink. According to the embodiment illustrated, sinkincludes footfootfootand footFeetare shown to extend downwardly from bottom surfaceof floor. According to an exemplary embodiment, feetare coupled to sinkby being an integrally formed part of sink. Referring to, footis shown disposed under a rear right portion of sink, footis shown disposed under front right portion of basin, footis shown located under front left portion of floor, footis shown located under rear right portion of bottom surface.

Feetmay be configured to provide support and stability for sink. Feetmay provide protection to bottom surfaceand drainduring construction, during transit, and when sinkset down, for example, after sinkis removed from a shipping box and prior to installation. If sinkis installed in a cabinet which provides a shelf to support a sink, feetmay rest on said shelf and provide stable support for sink.

Sinkmay be formed of any suitably rigid material. Basinand apronmay be the same or different materials. Basinand apronmay be one piece or may be constructed of several pieces coupled together (e.g., welded, stir-welded, soldered, sweated, joined, fastened, adhesively bonded, etc.). Basinand apronmay be formed by any suitable means (e.g., stamping, casting, forging, bending, hammering, etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, sinkis a single piece of cast iron. Forming the sink from cast iron may allow for the sink to have a tighter tolerance than a sink formed of fireclay. Tighter tolerances may facilitate configuring rear edgeand rear edgeto align with standard door widths, and configuring bottom edgeto align with standard door and/or drawer heights. Tighter tolerances may also enable an installer to cut a cabinet from measurements or a template, rather than iterative cutting and fitting of the sink to the cabinet. Tighter tolerances may further ensure that sinkwill fit into a standard cabinet, as opposed to modifying a standard cabinet or ordering a custom cabinet often required with conventional apron-front sinks.

Referring to, a method of installing sinkonto a support structure (e.g., stand, base cabinet, etc.), shown as cabinet, will be described according to an exemplary embodiment.generally refer to installation of a short apron embodiment of sink, whilegenerally refer to installation of a full apron embodiment of sink. Cabinetmay be any stock, standard, or custom cabinet. Cabinetmay include one or more walls, shown as left paneland generally opposite right panel. Left panelmay have a left outside edgeand a left top edge. Right panelmay have a right outside edgeand right top edge. Cabinetmay include a rear paneladjacent to both left paneland right panel. Rear panelmay include a rear top edge. Panels,, andare shown to be substantially vertical. Left top edge, right top edge, and rear top edgemay substantially define a plane, shown as plane. Panels,, andmay or may not be standard height. As shown, panels,, andare approximately 34.5 inches tall. Panelsandmay or may not be standard distance apart. According to one exemplary embodiment, panelsandare approximately 36 inches apart. According to another exemplary embodiment, panelsandare approximately 33 inches apart. According to the embodiment illustrated, panelsandare approximately 30 inches apart.

Referring toin particular, cabinetmay have front panel. Front panelmay include front surface. According to one exemplary embodiment, cabinetincludes at least one door movably disposed on a lower portion of front panel. As shown, cabinetincludes first door, shown as left door, and a second door, shown as right door. Left doorincludes a first edge shown as left vertical edge. Right doorincludes a second edge, shown as right vertical edge. Front panelmay define an aperture, shown as drawer opening, above doorsand. According to one embodiment, drawer openingis configured to receive one or more drawers which slidably couple to cabinet. According to another exemplary embodiment, cabinetincludes one or more false drawer panels which cover drawer opening. Front panelmay include a top rail, shown as rail, extending across a top front portion of cabinetand at least partially defining aperture. Front panelmay include a support member, shown as center support, which extends vertically through drawer openingand supports rail. As described, cabinetmay not be configured to receive a traditional apron-front sink.

If cabinetis already supporting a sink, the existing sink will first need to be removed from cabinet. If cabinetincludes one or more drawers received in drawer opening, or if cabinetincludes one or more false drawer panels, the drawers and/or the false drawer panels should be removed from cabinet. If cabinetincludes rail, railwill need to be removed from cabinet. According to one exemplary embodiment, the step of removing railmay include one or more of the following: measuring a first distance of approximately ⅞ inch inward from left outside edge; marking the first distance on front panel, for example, on front surface; measuring a second distance of approximately ⅞ inward from left outside edge; marking the second distance on front panel; making a first substantially vertical cut in front panelapproximately ⅞ inch inward from left outside edge; and making a second substantially vertical cut approximately ⅞ inch inward from right outside edge. According to an exemplary embodiment, the first substantially vertical cut and the second substantially vertical cut should extend below the top of drawer openingand below the bottom of rail. Additional steps may include: making a first substantially horizontal cut parallel to a bottom surface of railuntil the first substantially horizontal cut intersects the first substantially vertical cut; and making a second substantially horizontal cut parallel to a bottom surface of railuntil the second substantially horizontal cut intersects the second substantially vertical cut. According to an exemplary embodiment, the first substantially horizontal cut and the second substantially horizontal cut may be substantially even with a top of drawer opening. According to another exemplary embodiment, the first substantially horizontal cut may be made into an inside left portion of front panel, and the second substantially horizontal cut may be made into an inside right portion of front panel. If cabinetincludes center support, a third substantially horizontal cut may be made through center support. As shown, the third substantially horizontally cut is substantially even with the bottom of drawer opening. After completion of these steps, railand/or center supportmay be removed.

Referring to, one or more supports (e.g., members, structures, framing, support framing, etc.), referred to as a support, may be added to support sink. According to the embodiment illustrated, supportincludes a first support, shown as left supportand a second support, shown as right supportSupportmay include one or more top supports, shown as top left supportand top right supportTop left supportand top right supportare configured to extend along the inside walls of the left and right sides of cabinet, respectively. The top supports may include top surfaces, shown as left top surfaceand right top surfaceSupportmay include one or more vertical supports, shown as front left supportrear left supportfront right supportand rear right supportSupportmay be made from any suitable material (e.g., wood, metal, plastic, composites, etc.).

According to one exemplary embodiment, supportmay be installed into cabinetby one or more of the following steps: coupling top left supportto an inside wall of left panelsuch that a top surfaceis level (e.g., substantially horizontal) and approximately 0.5 inch below left top edgeand plane; cutting one or more vertical supports to a length substantially equal to the distance from a bottom of installed top left supportto floorof cabinet; coupling front left supportand rear left supportto an inside wall of left panelbetween a bottom surface of top left supportand floor. According to an exemplary embodiment, supportmay be screwed to cabinet. Screws may be selected such that the screws are long enough to secure supportto left panelbut short enough not to extend through the inner walls of adjacent cabinets. One of skill in the art will understand from this disclosure that the steps and configurations above may be repeated for additional sides of cabinet, for example, secure supportto right panel.

With supportin place, sinkcan now be installed into cabinet. Referring to, installing sinkmay include placing sinkonto top supportby lowering sinkonto top supportand until rimis supported by top support, for example, by having left rimsupported by top left supportand right rimsupported by top right supportWith rimsupported by top support, sinkmay be slid in a rearward direction along top supportto an installed position. According to an exemplary embodiment, in an installed position, rear edge, rear edge, and/or bottom edgeare substantially flush with a front surfaceof cabinet. According to another exemplary embodiment, in an installed position, rear apron planeis substantially flush with a front surfaceof cabinet. If necessary, shims may be inserted between supportand rimsuch that the top of sinkis flush with the top of cabinet. With sinkin the installed position, a sealant (e.g., a silicone sealant) may be applied along a top surface of rim. After sinkis installed, a countertop may be installed onto cabinetthat at least partially covers rim.

According to an exemplary embodiment, apronof sinkextends beyond drawer opening. According to the embodiment illustrated, the lateral distance from left end surfaceto right end surfaceis greater than a lateral width of drawer opening. Also, bottom end surfaceis shown as being below a bottom of drawer opening. The short apron configuration of sinkmay enable the use of taller doorsand, the option of installing non-apron-front height doors onto cabinet, and/or the option of installing standard height doors under sink. According to one exemplary embodiment, bottom end surfaceof sinkis configured to substantially align with bottom edges of adjacent drawers. According to another exemplary embodiment, the short apron configuration of sinkenables doorsandto be the same height as adjacent doors. Enabling full height doors facilitates retrofitting sinkinto pre-existing cabinetry.