WO2008062364A1

WO2008062364A1 - A dissolvable-material dispenser for a toilet

Info

Publication number: WO2008062364A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/054709
Authority: WO
Inventors: Valagam Raghunathan; Vijaya Raghavan
Original assignee: Valagam Raghunathan; Vijaya Raghavan
Priority date: 2006-11-21
Filing date: 2007-11-20
Publication date: 2008-05-29

Abstract

A dispenser (1 ) for supplying a solution from a flushing cistern (F) into a toilet bowl (P) comprises a housing (H, W1 ) for holding a dissolvable material (D), and having a first end wall and a side wall with an opening (O) for allowing water to flow between the flushing cistern (F) and an inside of the housing (H, W1 ) and vice versa. In use the housing (H) is oriented such that the first end wall is a bottom wall. The dispenser (1 ) further comprises an expansion means (A; B) which is airtight coupled to an opposing part of the housing (H) opposing the first end wall. The expansion means (A; B) are arranged to obtain, in use when the dispenser (1 ) is present in the flushing cistern: (i) a flow of water into the housing (H) via the opening (O) once a water level in the flushing cistern (F) rises above a predetermined first level (FL), the water in the housing (H) dissolving the dissolvable material (D) to obtain the solution, and (ii) when the water level in the flushing cistern (F) is dropping, a flow of the solution out of the housing (H) via the opening (O) until the water level in the flushing cistern (F) drops below a predetermined second level (SL) being identical or lower than the predetermined first level (FL).

Description

A DISSOLVABLE-MATERIAL DISPENSER FOR A TOILET.

Field of the invention

The invention relates to: a dispenser for supplying a solution from a flushing cistern into a toilet bowl, a system comprising such a dispenser and a solid piece of dissolvable material, a toilet flushing cistern and such a system being arranged in the toilet flushing cistern, and to a toilet comprising the toilet flushing cistern and a toilet bowl.

Background of the invention

It is known to deposit a blue tablet of cleansing material on the bottom of the flushing cistern of a toilet. The tablet dissolves in the flushing cistern and colors the water blue. This colored water indicates the presence of the cleansing material when flowing into the toilet bowl during the flushing action.

The known approach has several drawbacks. If the toilet is not used for a longer period of time, the amount of cleansing material dissolved in the cistern is quite high. This is a waste of material: usually the tablet has to be exchanged every month. The too high amount of dissolved material may cause a sticky colored film in the toilet bowl, and may cause malfunction of the rubber seal between the flushing cistern and the toilet bowl due to deposit of the material on the rubber seal. If the toilet is used with repeated flushes, the concentration of the cleansing material is too low.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the invention to provide a dispenser which has a more constant concentration of the dissolvable material to be dispensed.

A first aspect of the invention provides a dispenser for supplying a solution from a flushing cistern into a toilet bowl as claimed in claim 1. A second aspect of the invention provides a system comprising the dispenser as claimed in claim 14. A third aspect of the invention provides a toilet flushing cistern as claimed in claim 15. A fourth aspect of the invention provides a toilet as claimed in claim 16. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. A dispenser in accordance with the first aspect of the invention comprises a housing used to store the dissolvable material. The dissolvable material may be a cleansing and/or deodorant, and/or disinfecting material. For example, the material may be a chlorine-detergent tablet. Such materials are usually heavier than water, and thus will settle on the bottom wall of the housing. The wall which in use is the bottom wall is referred to as the first end wall in the claims. However, the material may be lighter than water. The housing has an opening in a side wall. When the flushing cistern (further also referred to as the cistern) is filling with water, the water will flow through the opening into the housing once the water level in the cistern has risen until the opening is reached. The water entering the housing will mix with the solution of dissolved material and further dissolve the material. When the cistern is emptying the water into the toilet bowl, the solution stored in the housing above the opening will leave the housing and mix with the water in the cistern which flows towards the toilet bowl.

A gas, usually air, in the housing should be able to move to enable the water to enter into or to leave the housing through the opening. The expansion means which allows the movement of the gas is airtight coupled to an upper part of the housing. The upper part opposes the first end wall.

The expansion means and the opening in the side wall are arranged to obtain, in use when the dispenser is present in the flushing cistern: (i) a flow of water into the housing via the opening thereby moving at least part of the gas out the housing into the expansion means, once the water level in the flushing cistern rises above a predetermined first level, the water entered further dissolves the soluble material to obtain a solution of material, and (ii) a flow of the solution of material out of the housing via the opening once the water level in the flushing cistern drops below a predetermined second level being identical or lower than the predetermined first level.

Thus, the amount of soluble material which is used per flush is limited to the amount solvable in the amount of water entering and leaving the housing of the dispenser. This is in contrast to the known use of dissolvable tablets directly in the cistern, which results in a waste of this material because all the water in the cistern is used to dissolve the dissolvable material.

The dispenser in accordance with the present invention therefore proposes a device which restricts the dissolving of the dissolvable material, which may be a cleansing material, within realistic limits to achieve the cleansing action without most of the cleansing material merely going down the drain unused. The device proposed has a simple construction and is effective in operation. It can be installed and used even by a lay person with little instruction for its operation. The device proposed lends itself to mass manufacturing techniques, so that it is capable of being made available to the consumer at a reasonable cost. The device is durable in use, especially when it is made of non-metallic substances which are corrosion resistant.

In an embodiment, the opening is provided at a predetermined non-zero distance from the first end wall in the direction of the opposing part opposing the first end wall. In use the first end wall is the bottom wall and the opposing part is the top part of the housing. This position of the opening has the effect that the dissolvable material is always surrounded by a predetermined amount of liquid, even if the water level in the cistern is low. Consequently, when the water in the cistern rises, the concentration of the soluble material is less dependent on the speed of filling of the cistern and the time, especially if short, the cistern is filled before a next flushing action is required. A further effect is that once the water level in the cistern is below the second level no further solution is leaving the dispenser anymore. Consequently, the rest of the water in the cistern is able to flush away the solution and the deposition of the solution on the rubber of the outlet of the cistern and on the surface of the toilet bowl is minimized.

In an embodiment, the opening of the housing of the dispenser is located in the cistern such that the solution is supplied near the outlet of the dispenser. This ensures that the solution is only locally present and most of the water in the cistern does not contain dissolvable material or contains a very low concentration of the dissolvable material only. This further improves the flushing away of the solution before the end of the flushing action.

In an embodiment, the housing comprises a conduit which is arranged inside the opening. The conduit has an inlet inside the housing and an outlet outside the housing to allow the water of the cistern to enter the housing and the solution to leave the housing via the conduit. Such a conduit offers a higher flexibility in the construction of the dispenser and its position in the cistern.

In an embodiment, the conduit is a straight pipe and the predetermined first level and the predetermined second level of the water in the cistern at which water starts entering the housing and the solutions stops leaving the housing, respectively, are identical.

In an embodiment, the inlet and the outlet of the conduit are displaced with respect to each other in a top-bottom direction, thus in a direction extending from bottom wall to top part. This easily allows creating a dispenser which has an outlet near to the outlet of the cistern, while on the other hand, due to the communicating vessel effect, the solution in the housing leaves the dispenser until the solution drops below the inlet of the conduit.

In an embodiment, the conduit inside the housing has siphon shaped portion to obtain a conduit with an outlet nearer to the bottom wall than the inlet, and wherein part of the conduit nearest to the top part is nearer to the top part than the inlet to obtain a second level lower than the first level.

In an embodiment, the expansion means comprises an air conduit extending from the top part of the housing and having a length to end, in use, above a highest level of water in the flushing cistern. In an embodiment, the expansion means comprises a flexible material which is airtight connected to an expansion opening at a top part of the housing to form an air chamber. This air chamber may be present directly on top of the housing and thus in the water in the cistern when full.

In an embodiment, the expansion means comprises a flexible material which is airtight connected to the opposing part of the housing to surround an expansion opening in the opposing part to form an air chamber. In another embodiment, the expansion means comprises a flexible material which is airtight connected at the opposing part of the side walls of the housing to form the air chamber. Thus, in both these embodiments the flexible material of the expansion means forms a flexible air chamber which stores air displaced in the housing by water entering from the cistern. For example, the flexible material is rubber or any other natural or synthetic elastic material. The flexible material may have a balloon like shape. The air stored in the balloon when the water enters the housing allows the water to leave the housing when the water level in the cistern drops.

In an embodiment, a cap covers the flexible material which forms the air chamber. The cap is movably attached to the housing to allow movement in the top-bottom direction. Such a cap protects the flexible material from getting damaged. In an embodiment, the cap the travel distance of the cap is limited to increase the compression of the air in the air chamber. The higher compression has the advantage that the solution will be forced out of the dispenser with a higher force.

In an embodiment, the housing has a submerging weight for keeping it submerged in the flushing cistern. In this embodiment the housing is constructed from a material heavier than water and has a weight sufficient to keep the dispenser always submerged in the water of the cistern.

In an embodiment, the housing comprises a separate submerging weight at its bottom section. This allows the housing to be made of any suitable material independent on specific weight. The extra weight may be present inside or outside the housing. In an embodiment, the dispenser further comprises a pressing weight for exerting a force on the flexible material in the bottom direction to push the solution out of the outlet when the water in the flushing cistern drops. This weight increases the speed with which the solution leaves the dispenser to increase the mixing of the solution with the water in the cistern.

These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Brief description of the drawings In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows schematically an embodiment of a toilet with a flushing cistern and a toilet bowl with a dispenser arranged in the flushing cistern,

Fig. 2 shows schematically an embodiment of the dispenser, Fig. 3 shows schematically another embodiment of the dispenser, and Fig. 4 shows dimensions of an embodiment of the dispenser.

Detailed description

This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example, and not by way of limitation, possible embodiments of the dispenser in accordance with the present invention. It should be noted that items which have the same reference numbers in different Figures, have the same structural features and the same functions, or are the same signals. Where the function and/or structure of such an item has been explained, there is no necessity for repeated explanation thereof in the detailed description.

Fig. 1 shows schematically an embodiment of a toilet with a flushing cistern and a toilet bowl with the dispenser arranged in the flushing cistern. The toilet 2 comprises a flushing cistern F and a toilet bowl P. The construction of the cistern F is well known and only briefly elucidated. The lever and floating ball construction Q controls the closing and opening of the water supplying conduit to the cistern F. In Fig. 1 the water level in the cistern F is at its highest level and the water supplying conduit is closed. The lever LE activates the flushing operation. When the flushing is active, the water leaves the cistern F via the outlet J towards the bowl P. The dispenser 1 , which will be elucidated in detail with respect to Figs. 2 to 4, is placed on the bottom wall of the cistern F. Alternatively, the dispenser 1 may be fixedly or removably attached to a side wall or top wall of the cistern F. If the dispenser 1 is fixedly attached, it should be constructed such that it can easily be opened to replace the dissolving material inside it.

Fig. 2 shows schematically an embodiment of the dispenser. The dispenser 1 has a housing H and an expansion pipe A. The housing H has an opening O in a side wall and comprises the dissolvable material D resting on its bottom wall. Alternatively, the dissolving material D may be held at a position in-between the opening O and the bottom wall.

It is assumed that in the starting situation the water level in the cistern F is at maximum height as indicated by the wavy line. As the pipe A is open to air, the water level in the dispenser 1 is at the same level as the water level in the cistern. The dispenser 1 is filled with a solution of the dissolvable material D in water. When the toilet is flushed, the water level in the cistern F starts dropping, and also the level of the solution in the dispenser 1 drops, and the solution leaves the dispenser 1 via the opening O. The solution continuous to leave the dispenser 1 until the water level in the cisterns drops to the level FL. Consequently, the amount of water with dissolved material D is limited to the volume of the dispenser between the level FL and the maximum level. This volume can be freely selected to obtain a suitable amount of solution leaving the dispenser 1 during the flushing action. The dissolvable material D is not dissolved in the total water volume of the cistern F but only in the above described volume of the dispenser 1.

Once the level of water in the cistern F drops below the level FL, the level of the solution in the dispenser 1 does not further drop. This has the first advantage that the solution is not anymore added to the water in the cistern F at the end of the flushing action. Thus, the concentration of the solution in the water leaving the cistern F will diminish fast and no deposits of the material D at a sealing rubber (not shown) of the outlet J of the cistern F and on the surface of the toilet bowl will be left. A further advantage is that the concentration of the material D in the solution left in the dispenser is still at a high level. When now the water in the cistern F rises to the level SL, water starts pouring into the dispenser 1 and will easily mix with the solution still present. In the embodiment of the dispenser 1 shown in Fig. 2, the level SL at which water starts flowing into the dispenser 1 is equal to the level FL at which the solution stops flowing out of the dispenser 1.

Fig. 3 shows schematically another embodiment of the dispenser. The dispenser comprises a housing H, W1 which is intended to be put in the flushing cistern F of the toilet 2. The housing comprises a tube like part H with an opening in the bottom wall, and a part W1 providing sufficient extra weight to the dispenser 1 such that it stays in place in the cistern F even when the water level is at the maximum height. The opening O of the housing is present in the part W1. The conduit C extends through the opening in the bottom wall of the tube H and ends in a side wall of the part W1. The tube H rises in the housing part H towards the flexible bulb B which is made of flexible material and which is airtight fitted to the open upper end of the tube H. The flexible bulb B acts as an expandable air chamber. The tube has a siphon shaped part M at the end nearest to the upper part of the tube H. This siphon shaped part M is optional. The dissolvable material D is present at the bottom of the tube H around the conduit C. An optional weight W2 is attached at the inside or outside of the top part of the flexible material forming the walls of the flexible bulb B. The flexible material may be rubber or any other balloon like material. An optional cap K is covering the flexible bulb B and is movable in the top- bottom direction of the tube H. Protrusions L at the top end of the tube H prevent the cap to slip off of the tube H. The dissolvable material D may be a detergent tablet which is dissolvable in water and which, for example, releases chorine when dissolved. The outlet G of the conduit terminates outside the housing within the cistern F. When the cistern F is filling with water, once the water level in the cistern F reaches the level FL, the water starts entering the tube H via the conduit C. The rising water level in the tube H moves the air in the dispenser 1 into the air bulb B which gets inflated. In fact, the air in the air bulb B is compressed by the rising water column in the dispenser 1. The cap K also moves upwards along with the upward rise of the inflating bulb B until restrained from further upward movement by the stops L. The cap K not only serves as a retaining cover for the bulb B but also serves to increase a build up of pressure within the bulb B during the upward rise of the water level in the housing H, W1.

The float mechanism Q in the cistern F cuts off the water supply to the cistern F when the water reaches the maximum level in the cistern F. The dispenser 1 is now filled with water with the air in the bulb B in a compressed state. Simultaneously, the cleansing tablet D is dissolving in the water in the housing H. The tablet D is exposed to a limited volume of water that is contained in the housing H only, and is not exposed to the whole amount of water in the cistern F. As a result, in the relatively small amount of water in the housing, a particular percentage of concentration of the cleansing material is reached sooner than possible in the relatively large volume of water in the cistern F. Since the water in the housing is in equilibrium with respect to the water outside the housing, the cleansing material solution inside the housing is retained therein until after a flushing action is started. Large scale dissolution of the tablet D, which would occur when it would be exposed to the entire volume of water in the cistern F, is thus eliminated thereby enlarging the lifetime of the tablet.

When the flushing operation starts, the water in the cistern F exits into the toilet bowl P via the outlet J. The pressured air in the bulb B causes the solution of cleansing material in the dispenser 1 to leave the dispenser 1 because to the pressure of the dropping water level in the cistern F decreases. However, the concentration of the solution of cleansing material in the water leaving the cistern F is relatively low because the amount of water leaving the cistern F is relatively high (due to the high level of water in the cistern F) with respect to the amount of solution leaving the dispenser 1 at the start of the flushing operation. The concentration of the solution in the water leaving the cistern F increases when the level of the water in the cistern F decreases, until the level SL is reached. The concentration of the solution in the water leaving the cistern F can be adapted at will by selecting an appropriate volume of the dispenser 1 and by selecting an appropriate weight W2. The larger the volume and/or weight W2 the more solution will be dispensed per unit of time.

Once the level of water in the cistern dropped below the level SL, no further solution is supplied to the water leaving the cistern F. Thus, at the end of the flushing operation, clear water removes any solution still present. This has the advantage that the sticking of the dissolvable material to elements in the water path towards the toilet bowl P and at the surface of the toilet bowl P is prevented. Further, the dissolvable material D is kept always in a solution which improves the speed of dissolving and prevents smearing of the material D in the cistern. Thus, after flushing is complete the housing H retains some water with the cleansing material dissolved in it and, therefore, even if the next flushing is performed immediately once the cistern is refilled, the concentration of the cleansing material M in the water leaving the cistern F is sufficiently high.

The height of the conduit inlet E with respect to the bottom of the dispenser 1 determines the level of water SL at which the solution is not anymore leaving the dispenser 1. The siphon shaped part M of the conduit C determines the level FL at which water starts pouring into the dispenser 1. The level difference between the levels FL and SL gives the system the siphon action and also helps the system to drain only the solution and not solids. The level difference between the levels FL and SL causes a turbulent fall of the water entering the dispenser 1 and thus helps to thoroughly mix the incoming water with the dissolved solvent already present in the dispenser 1.

The nearer the outlet G of the conduit C of the dispenser 1 is to the outlet J of the cistern F, the less the solution leaving the dispenser 1 mixes with the water in the cistern F not leaving the cistern F through the outlet J. Thus, after the water level in the cistern F dropped below the level SL, sufficient clear water is available in the cistern F to remove the solution from the cistern F and from the toilet bowl P. Fig. 4 shows schematically another embodiment of the dispenser. This dispenser 1 differs from the dispenser 1 shown in Fig. 3 in that the conduit C leaves the tube portion H of the housing in a side wall of the tube H, and that the conduit C does not traverse through the weight portion W1 of the housing. The weight portion W1 of the housing now is present inside the tube portion H on the bottom of the tube portion H. The weight portion W1 may be an integral part of the housing but may also be a separate part. The optional weight W2 is not shown. The dissolvable material D is present on the weight W1. A screw S is provided to be able to control the amount of solution leaving the dispenser 1. The dimensions, shown by way of example only, indicate a practical embodiment of the dispenser 1. The operation of the dispenser 1 shown in Fig. 4 is identical to the operation of the dispenser shown in Fig. 3 and thus is not elucidated again.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For example, the form of the housing H, W1 of the dispenser 1 is not relevant to its operation.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A dispenser (1 ) for supplying a solution from a flushing cistern (F) into a toilet bowl (P), the dispenser (1 ) comprises: a housing (H, W1 ) for holding a dissolvable material (D), and having a first end wall and a side wall with an opening (O) for allowing water to flow between the flushing cistern (F) and an inside of the housing (H, W1 ) and vice versa, in use the housing (H, W1 ) is oriented such that the first end wall is a bottom wall, and expansion means (A; B) being airtight coupled to an opposing part of the housing (H, W1 ) opposing the first end wall, wherein the expansion means (A; B) are arranged to obtain, in use when the dispenser (1 ) is present in the flushing cistern:

(i) a flow of water into the housing (H, W1 ) via the opening (O) once a water level in the flushing cistern (F) rises above a predetermined first level (FL), the water in the housing (H, W1 ) dissolving the dissolvable material (D) to obtain the solution,

(ii) when the water level in the flushing cistern (F) is dropping, a flow of the solution out of the housing (H, W1 ) via the opening (O) until the water level in the flushing cistern (F) drops below a predetermined second level (SL) being identical or lower than the predetermined first level (FL).

2. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the opening (O) is provided at a predetermined non-zero distance from the first end wall in the direction of the opposing part, such that, in use, a predetermined amount of liquid is present around the dissolvable material even when the level of water in the flushing cistern

(F) dropped below the second level (SL).

3. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing (H, W1 ) comprises a conduit (C) arranged inside the opening (O) and having an inlet (E) inside the housing (H, W1 ) and an outlet (G) outside the housing (H, W1) for allowing the water to enter and to leave the housing (H, W1 ) via the conduit (C).

4. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the conduit (C) is a straight pipe and the predetermined first level (FL) and the predetermined second level (SL) are identical.

5. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in claim 3 wherein the inlet (E) and the outlet (G) are displaced with respect to each other in direction extending from the first end wall towards the opposing part.

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5 wherein the conduit (C) inside the housing (H, W1 ) has a siphon shaped portion (M) to obtain a conduit (C) with an outlet (G) nearer to the first end wall than the inlet (E), and wherein the siphon shaped portion (M) nearest to the opposing part is nearer to the opposing part than the inlet (E) to obtain a second level (SL) lower than the first level (FL).

7. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the expansion means (A; B) comprises an air conduit (A) extending from the opposing part of the housing (H, W1 ) and having a length to end, in use, above a highest level of water in the flushing cistern (F).

8. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the expansion means (A; B) comprises a flexible material (B) being airtight connected to the opposing part of the housing (H, W1 ) to surround an expansion opening in the opposing part for forming an air chamber.

9. A dispenser (1) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the expansion means (A; B) comprises a flexible material (B) being airtight connected at the opposing part of the side walls of the housing (H, W1 ) for forming an air chamber.

10. A dispenser (1 ) as claim in claim 8 or 9, further comprising a cap (K) for covering the flexible material (B) and being movably attached to the housing (H, W1 ) to allow movement in the direction extending from the first end wall towards the opposing part and vice versa.

11. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (H, W1 ) has a submerging weight for keeping it submerged in the flushing cistern

(F).

12. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in claim 11 wherein the housing (H, W1 ) comprises a submerging weight (W1) arranged at its first end wall.

13. A dispenser (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a pressing weight (W2) for, in use, exerting a force on the flexible material (B) in the direction towards the first end wall for pushing the solution out of the outlet (G) when the water level in the flushing cistern (F) drops.

14. A dispenser (1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dissolvable material is a cleansing, and/or a deodorant, and/or a disinfecting material.

15. A system comprising the dispenser (1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and a solid piece of the dissolvable material (D) provided in the housing (H, W1 ).

16. A toilet flushing cistern (F) comprising the system of claim 15.

17. A toilet flushing cistern (F) as claimed in claim 16, wherein the opening (O) is located near an outlet of the dispenser to only locally provide the dissolved dissolvable material (D).

18. A toilet (2) comprising the toilet flushing cistern (F) as claimed in claim 16 or 17 and a toilet bowl (P).