WO2006010412A1

WO2006010412A1 - Liquid active substance dispenser for w.c. bowl

Info

Publication number: WO2006010412A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/006516
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabio Pagani
Original assignee: Re Le Vi SpA
Current assignee: Re Le Vi SpA
Priority date: 2004-07-29
Filing date: 2005-06-15
Publication date: 2006-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2007-01-29

Abstract

A dispenser (10) which, for containing active substance (R) in the liquid state, comprises a bottle (11) supported by a support means (20) in an inverted position, with its mouth (12) facing downwards in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow. The support means (20) comprises a suspended container (26) provided with large apertures (24') for passage of the flushing water flow, a reservoir (21) for containing the active substance and positioned within said suspended container (26) in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow and arranged to receive the mouth (12) of the bottle, at least one passageway (35) for the descent of the active substance from the bottle (11) to the reservoir (21), and at least one ventilation passageway (31) which when in use connects the interior of the bottle (11) to the atmospheric air. According to the invention, there are provided a collection chamber (40) positioned below the suspended container (26) to receive part of the flushing water flow which strikes the suspended container (26), at least one passageway (G) connecting said chamber (40) to said container (26), and a siphonic half trap (50) which discharges outside the collection chamber (40) the liquid drawn from the collection chamber (40).

Description

DESCRIPTION

LIQUID ACTIVE SUBSTANCE DISPENSER FOR W.C. BOWL

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a liquid active substance dispenser for a

W.C. bowl, to be housed within the W.C. bowl, of the type indicated in the first part of claim 1 , i.e. comprising: a bottle for containing active substance in the liquid state, and having an exit mouth, and a support means, separate from the bottle, for supporting said bottle in an inverted position with its mouth facing downwards, in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow, the support means comprising: a suspended container provided with a plurality of large apertures for passage of the flushing water flow, an active substance-containing reservoir located in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow and arranged to receive the mouth of the bottle, a closure member for closing the mouth of the bottle, and passageways for the gauged descent of the active substance into the containing reservoir, and for connecting the interior of the bottle to the environmental air, said containing reservoir defining a volume for containing a quantity of active substance which closes said active substance descent passageway. BACKGROUND ART

A dispenser having the described characteristics is illustrated in international patent application PCT/EP02/11765. The liquid substance contained in the bottle descends through said descent passageway and accumulates in the containing reservoir until it reaches or nearly reaches (but without exceeding it) the maximum level, by which it closes the descent passageway for the active substance. By using an active substance having a sufficiently high viscosity and a sufficiently small ventilation passageway, the active substance does not emerge from this passageway.

At this point, as its mouth is hermetically sealed, a vacuum environment forms in the upper part of the interior of the bottle, which in combination with the external atmospheric pressure and the weight of the substance contained in the bottle, reaches static equilibrium, in which the substance does not emerge from the bottle.

When a flush is activated, the flushing water penetrates into the containing reservoir and carries away in small quantities a part of the active substance contained in the reservoir, to dilute it and release its action. It has been observed experimentally that when a part of the active substance is carried away, this, probably together with the turbulence produced by the flush, causes a little ventilation air to enter the bottle through the ventilation passageway. This changes the equilibrium between the pressure in the bottle and the external pressure, to cause a gauged descent of a quantity of active substance, with consequent restoration of the level in the containing reservoir. A problem present in the dispenser is that most of the active substance carried away by the flush water is directly lost down the W. C. exit. The result is that said active substance is substantially consumed because as it remains within the W. C. bowl for just a few moments, it is unable to fully develop its deodorant/cleansing/ refreshing/disinfectant action, and hence be effective.

Another problem of the dispenser of known type is that, following repeated water flushes, small quantities of undiluted and hence viscous active substance can escape from the containing reservoir by passing into the suspended container, and from there can drip, through the apertures in the suspended container, into the W. C. bowl; this dripping is a drawback mostly felt when the active substance is of intense colour and by dripping onto the inner surface of the bowl soils it by leaving ugly traces.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is therefore to improve dispensers of the aforesaid type in such a manner as to solve the stated problems by an effective and reliable solution.

This and further objects are attained by the invention as characterised in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be apparent on reading the ensuing description provided by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the figures shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a dispenser of the invention, without the bottle of active substance;

Figure 2 is the section H-Ii indicated in Figure 1 , in which the bottle of active substance is also present; Figure 3 is a plan view of the dispenser of Figure 1 taken from above; Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of Figure 2.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The dispenser of the invention, indicated overall by 10 in said figures, comprises a bottle 11 for containing in its interior an active substance R (of known type) in the liquid (more or less viscous) state, able to cleanse and/or deodorize and/or air-refresh and/or disinfect, and having an exit mouth 12 for the active substance R. The dispenser 10 also comprises a support means 20 having a usual hooking means 28, in the form of a hook-shaped elongate element of elastically flexible material, by which it is hooked to the upper rim 8 of a W. C. bowl 7, and able to support said bottle 11 in an inverted position with its axis vertical or nearly vertical and its mouth 12 facing downwards, in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow (see Figure 2). The bottle 11 is separate from the support means 20 and is associated with it in order to be located in the W. C. bowl.

The entire dispenser 10, including the bottle 11 , is to be housed within the W. C. bowl 7 against its inner surface 71 , below its upper rim 8 and exposed to the action of the flushing water flow. Usually, the water flow emerges either along the rim 8 from holes provided in its lower part, or from a rear central mouth of the bowl and made to flow in a tangential direction along the inner surface 71 , below the rim 8. The support means 20 comprises a suspended container provided with numerous large apertures 24' for passage of the flush water; a reservoir 21 for containing the active substance and having an upwardly facing concavity, located within the suspended container 26 in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow and arranged to receive the mouth 12 of the bottle; and a closure member 30 positioned in said containing reservoir 21 to close the mouth of the bottle 11. The containing reservoir 21 is closed lowerly by a lower base wall 25 of the suspended container 26, and comprises a substantially vertical side wall 22, which extends upwards from the base wall 25 and passes through an entire round angle about the exit mouth 12 of the bottle to define a volume for containing a quantity of substance. The inner diameter of the side wall 22 is greater than the maximum outer diameter of the exit mouth 12, so that this can be contained within the side wall 22 at a short distance from it.

Preferably, said closure member 30 is in the form of an upwardly facing, substantially cylindrical or slightly frusto-conical tube piece coaxial with the bottle 11 , its lower end being joined to the base wall 25 and being closed thereby. The tube piece 30 has an upper end 30' which projects upwards beyond the exit mouth 12 of the bottle when this is associated with the support means 20, the exit mouth 12 being in geometrical relationship with the tube piece 30 such that its inner surface sealedly embraces the lateral surface of the tube piece 30.

With said tube piece 30 there is associated a passageway 35 enabling the active substance R to descend from the interior of the bottle 11 to the containing reservoir 21 , the quantity of active substance collected by this latter being such as to close said descent passageway 35. The descent passageway 35 for the active substance is defined by a gauged vertical corridor formed by a valley provided in the cross-section of the outer lateral surface of the tube piece 30, starting from a point within the interior of the bottle 11 and terminating below the exit mouth 12 of the bottle 11 ; said corridor 35 extends along the entire height of the tube piece 30 (see Figure 3). The dispenser comprises at least one ventilation passageway 31 which, when in use, connects the interior of the bottle 11 to the environmental air. This ventilation passageway is preferably separate from the descent passageway 35 for the active substance R. In the illustrated embodiment, the ventilation passageway 31 is defined by a gauged vertical corridor formed by an arched valley provided in the cross-section of the outer lateral surface of the tube piece 30, starting from a point below the exit mouth 12 of the bottle and terminating within the interior of the bottle 11 ; said corridor 31 extends along the entire height of the tube piece 30. The reservoir 21 is arranged to contain a determined maximum level of liquid (indicated by L1 in Figure 4), and to contain the exit mouth 12 of the bottle 11 , with its lower end exit section (indicated by P1 in Figure 4) positioned below the maximum liquid level L1. The upper end edge of the side wall 22 determines the maximum level L1 of the liquid which collects within the reservoir 21.

The side wall 22 possesses a number of wall extensions 22b in the form of crenellations, which project upwards beyond the upper edge of the wall 22 to define a resting means for the body 13 of the bottle 11 in order to position the bottle mouth 12 in a predetermined and precise geometrical relationship with the tube piece 30 and the reservoir 21. The bottle 11 possesses a shoulder 13', from which there projects a cylindrical neck 14 carrying the mouth 12 at its end. The crenellations formed by the extensions 22b surround the mouth 12 and neck 14 of the bottle 11 when in an inverted position, to supportingly receive the shoulder 13' on their upper end edges; when in this position the mouth 12 becomes inserted into the reservoir 21 , with its lower exit section P1 lying at a level less than the maximum level L1.

In detail, the mouth 12 comprises an annular element 12a rigidly fixed to the end of the neck 14, to which there is joined a circular disc 12b for hermetically sealing the passage port for the active substance R. The lower end surface of the element 12a defines the lower end passage section P1. This section P1 lies a small distance from the upper edge of the lateral wall 22 of the reservoir 21 , so that a passageway remains defined for the flushing water towards the concavity of the reservoir 21. Specifically, the tube piece 30 is cut in an inclined manner to form an upper point which projects upwards by an extent such as to penetrate through the mouth 12 of the bottle when placed in its position of use. To dispose the bottle 11 in its position of use, it is inserted and pushed manually downwards to cause the tube piece 30 to penetrate into it so that the point of the tube detaches or tears the circular disc 12b away from the annular element 12a, to enable the active substance R present in the bottle 11 to descend through the exit mouth 12. The support means 20 together with the thus connected bottle 11 is then placed in the W. C. bowl such that the base wall 25 lies substantially horizontal or nearly so, and the flushing water fed into the W. C. bowl strikes the region in which the reservoir 21 lies. To facilitate the washing-away and removal of the active substance R by the water flow, the suspended container 26 of the support means 20 comprises a horizontal platform 23 which surrounds the containing reservoir 21 , and is itself bounded totally by a vertical wall 24 joined to it; the water passage apertures 24' are provided in the horizontal platform 23 and the vertical wall 24.

According to the invention, a collection chamber 40 is provided below the suspended container 26, to accumulate that part of the water which strikes the containing reservoir 21 during the flushing water flow. Said collection chamber 40 is defined by a cup-shaped outer enclosure 41 provided with a closed base wall 42 in the form of a cap with its concavity facing upwards, to which there is joined all the way round a substantially vertical or slightly flared perimetral wall 43 defining a seat into which part of the suspended container 26 is inserted. In detail, the end upper edge 43' of the perimetral wall 43 defines an open end section of the outer enclosure 41 , which is in geometrical relationship with the container 26 such that this latter fits perfectly into the outer enclosure 41 to enable mutual sliding.

Said sliding enables said parts to be fitted together until the end upper edge 43' of the enclosure 41 abuts against a shoulder 26' projecting from one end of the vertical wall 24 of the suspended container 26 (see Figures 2 and 4); this position defines said collection chamber 40, which lies between the lower wall 25 of the suspended container 26 and the base wall 42 of the outer enclosure 41.

As can be seen from Figure 3, some of the apertures 24', and in particular those provided in the horizontal platform 23, define an open passageway G to connect the suspended container 26 to the underlying collection chamber 40.

In the described embodiment, the outer enclosure 41 is fixed to the suspended container 26 by virtue of the dimensions and the slight inclination of the perimetral wall 43 and of the vertical wall 24, which provide a forced fit when inserted one into the other.

In correspondence with the base wall 42 of the enclosure 41 , a siphonic half-trap 50 is provided having an inlet which draws liquid from the collection chamber 40 at a level L2 higher than the base wall 42 and discharges to the outside of the dispenser 10, into the W. C. bowl 7. The half-trap 50 comprises a vertical conduit 51 joined to the base wall 25 and passing through it, its lower section defining the outlet of the half-trap. Above the vertical conduit 51 there is positioned a cap 52 having its concavity facing downwards to cover the upper mouth 51 ' of the conduit 51 , and its lower edge 52' positioned at a lower level than the upper mouth 51' of the conduit 51. Said lower edge 52' defines the inlet mouth of the trap and is positioned at said level L2, while the upper mouth 51' of the conduit 51 defines the triggering level, i.e. the minimum level which a liquid must exceed to trigger the siphon action. In this manner, the collection chamber 40 is able to temporarily retain the flush water, mixed with the active substance R, until a level is reached such as to trigger the action of the half-trap, and then to release it into the W.C. bowl 70.

The liquid substance R contained in the bottle 11 descends through the (open) mouth 12 and fills the internal closed space of the tube piece 30; this substance flows outwards only through the corridor 35, from which it descends into the reservoir 21 where it accumulates until it reaches the level of the section P1 , but without exceeding the maximum level L1. Using an active substance R having a suitable viscosity (for example 1000-4000x10^'2 poise), it has been found that if a sufficiently small ventilation passageway 31 is provided, the active substance R does not descend along the passageway 31.

At this point, as the mouth 12 is hermetically sealed, a vacuum environment forms in the upper part of the interior of the bottle 11 above the level of the active substance R, which in combination with the external atmospheric pressure and the weight of the substance contained in the bottle, reaches static equilibrium, without the substance R emerging from the bottle 11.

When a flush is activated, the flushing water runs along the reservoir 21 and carries away with it a small quantity of the substance R contained in the reservoir 21 , to dilute it and release its deodorant/cleansing/ refreshing/disinfectant action into the bowl 7.

The same flush of water temporarily fills the suspended container 26, after which it rapidly leaves through the apertures 24', which are suitably dimensioned to enable the water to drain quickly; in this manner, part of the diluted active substance R flows directly to the outside of the dispenser 10, while the remainder, passing through the open passageway G, fills the collection chamber 40 and finally the cap 52, to hence trigger, a few moments after the water flush, the action of the half-trap 50. This diluted active substance R accumulated in the collection chamber 40 is drawn off by the action of the half-trap 50, triggered by the flushing water, which ceases when the liquid level in the collection chamber 40 falls to the level L2.

Certain important effects are obtained by this. The first effect is that the diluted active substance R filling the collection chamber 40 is fed into the W. C. bowl 7 later than the activation of the flush water; this advantageously prevents the entire active substance carried away by the flush water from being immediately lost on discharging the W. C, to obtain a more rational and effective utilization thereof compared with known dispensers. In this respect, in the illustrated embodiment, the diluted active substance flowing delayed from the dispenser 10 mixes with the water which settles on the bottom of the bowl 7 when the W. C. trap, triggered by the flushing water flow, terminates its discharge function; consequently, said active substance R remains within the bowl 7 until the next water flush, continuing in the meantime to develop its deodorant/cleansing/ refreshing/disinfectant action. A second effect of the invention is that because of the presence of said half-trap 50, the flow of diluted active substance R through the vertical conduit 51 is interrupted continuously when the liquid level in the collection chamber 40 falls below the level L2; as said level l_2 is set lower than the upper mouth 51 ' of the vertical conduit 51 , any undesirable flow of the liquid containing the diluted active substance R is prevented. There is also the advantage that a certain quantity of said diluted active substance R always remains contained in the collection chamber 40, filling it to the level L2 even when there is no water flush; in this manner the active substance R can also develop its deodorant and/or refreshing action within the bowl 7 from that point, hence being more effective and better utilized. A further effect of the present invention is that as the collection chamber is below the support means 20, the viscous active substance R cannot drip into the W. C. bowl 7 after the flow of flushing water has ceased, as instead occurs in dispensers of known type; this dripping is a problem felt in particular when the active substance R is of intense colour and drips onto the inner surface of the bowl to soil it by leaving ugly traces. In this respect, with this solution the active substance R which, escaping from the containing reservoir 21 would tend to drip outside the suspended container 26 through the apertures 24', is collected in the collection chamber 40 where it mixes with the liquid residue contained therein, hence preventing any contact with the walls of the bowl 7; moreover, even if the flow of said active substance R within the collection chamber 40 increases the liquid level until the half-trap 50 is triggered, the liquid which leaves the dispenser would be dilute and hence unable to soil the glazed surfaces of the bowl 7. In a preferred embodiment, the cap 52 is a piece which is constructed independently of the outer enclosure 41 and possesses a number of radial fins provided in the interior of the cap which do not hinder water passage, and by which it is fitted to the upper end of the conduit 51 by forcibly mounting the inner edge of the fins over this upper end. Moreover, in this particular embodiment the outer enclosure 1 which, together with the support means 20, defines the collection chamber 40, is a component formed independently of said support means 20 and is then associated therewith by the forced fit achieved between the vertical wall 24 of this latter and the perimetral wall 43 of the outer enclosure 41 ; hence when there is no more liquid in the bottle 11 , said outer enclosure 41 can be removed from the dispenser 10 for reuse.

Alternatively, said outer enclosure 41 can be fixed irremovably to the support means 20 to hence prevent accidental detachment, i.e. the collection chamber 40 is made integral with the support means 20, to obtain a disposable component. Numerous modifications of a practical and applicational nature can be made to the invention, but without leaving the scope of the inventive idea as claimed below.

Claims

1. A liquid active substance dispenser for a W. C. bowl, to be housed within the W. C. bowl, comprising:

for containing active substance (R) in the liquid state, a bottle (11 ) having an exit mouth (12) for the active substance (R) and

a support means (20), separate from the bottle (11 ), to support said bottle (11) in an inverted position, with its mouth (12) facing downwards in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow,

the support means (20) comprising:

a suspended container (26) provided with a plurality of large apertures (24') for passage of the flushing water flow,

for containing the active substance a reservoir (21) positioned within said suspended container (26) in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow and arranged to receive the mouth (12) of the bottle,

for closing the bottle mouth a closure member (30) having passageways for the gauged descent of the active substance into the containing reservoir (21), and passageways (31) for ventilating the interior of the bottle (11) with atmospheric air,

said containing reservoir (21) defining a volume for containing a quantity of active substance which closes said active substance descent passageway (35)

characterised by comprising: a collection chamber (40) positioned below the suspended container (26) to receive part of the flushing water flow which strikes the suspended container (26),

at least one passageway (G) connecting the collection chamber (40) to the suspended container (26), and

a siphonic half-trap (50) discharging outside the collection chamber (40) and having an inlet (52') which draws liquid from the collection chamber (40).

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , characterised by comprising an outer enclosure (41 ) which is cup-shaped with its concavity facing upwards and is associated with the underside of the suspended container (26) to define said collection chamber (40).

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said outer enclosure (41 ) comprises a base wall (42) in the form of a cap to which there is joined all the way round a perimetral wall (43), the end upper edge (43') of which defines an open end section of said outer enclosure (41), into which a portion of the suspended container (26) is inserted.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the outer enclosure (41) is removably fixed to the suspended container (26) by forcedly inserting this latter into the outer enclosure (41 ).

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said outer enclosure (41 ) is irremovably fixed to the suspended container (26).

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the half-trap (50) comprises a cap (52) with its concavity facing downwards to cover the upper mouth (51 ') of a conduit (51 ) which passes through the base wall (42) of the outer enclosure (41) of the collection chamber (40), said upper mouth defining the triggering level of the half-trap (50).