EP1222338A1

EP1222338A1 - Device for neutralising odour in lavatory

Info

Publication number: EP1222338A1
Application number: EP00959036A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kjell Skarbo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-08-25
Filing date: 2000-08-22
Publication date: 2002-07-17
Also published as: NO994100D0; WO2001014652A1; AU7042600A

Abstract

A device (7) for neutralisation of odour in lavatory (10), preferably while the lavatory (10) is in use, is disclosed. The device (7) comprises a holder element (1) for fixing to the lavatory, a fluid container (3) and means for dispensing the fluid from the container (3), for directing the fluid into the lavatory (10). The means for dispensing the fluid is manually operable by means of a control device (6), which together with the fluid container (3) is located external of the lavatory. The holder element (1) includes means (11) for fixing to the lavatory (10), and comprises a passage (4) for passing the fluid from the externally located container (3) to a nozzle (5) located internal of the lavatory (10). the fluid is an odour neutralising agent that is dispensed when the user, as desired, is activating the control device (6).

Description

DEVICE FOR NEUTRALISING ODOUR IN LAVATORY

The present invention relates to a device for neutralisation of odour in lavatory, preferably while the lavatory is in use, which device comprises a holder element for fixing to the lavatory, a fluid container and means for dispensing the fluid from the container, for directing the fluid into the lavatory.

The term "lavatory" is in this connection used as a collective term for water closet, dry closet and a privy of the outhouse type.

The background of the invention is the not unacquainted phenomena of unpleasant odour in use of and from lavatories, and in particular lavatories in leisure boats. In leisure boats having closed living room, the lavatory is often located so that the door is directly opening from the lavatory and into the living room. When a person has used the lavatory and opens the door to the living room, the air from the lavatory will often directly overflow the living room and create unpleasant atmosphere in the room for a long time. The ventilation is often poor with a low-lying cabin that provides unfavourable flows for ventilation in the room.

It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to this particular use, but is considered used for any lavatory where it is desired to neutralise odour or unpleasant scent. Examples of lavatories are stationary water closets in residents, hotel rooms, offices, at public places, etc; dischargeable dry closets for cabins, mobile homes, etc; mobile toilets for outdoor arrangements; small toilets in airplanes, railways, boat cabins, etc; lavatories of the type "old-fashioned privy".

From US 3 316 559 it is known a device for spraying fluid into a toilet bowl for disinfecting and add deodorant. The device is hanging over the rim of the toilet bowl and is constructed of a resilient plastic material having respective ends, where the one end has a discharge nozzle that extends into the toilet bowl and the other end is hanging down on the outside of the bowl and constitute a fluid container. This device, however, is so arranged that a spray is automatic discharged into the toilet bowl each time a person folds down the seat ring and seat oneself thereon, in that the seat ring proper squeeze against the resilient plastic material and provides a pumping stroke.

US 1 385 985 shows another type of device for spraying a deodorant or a disinfectant into a toilet bowl. The device comprises a pump that is fixed to the floor adjacent to or on the wall behind the toilet bowl. By stepping on, or manually depress a button connected to a pump plunger, the liquid is discharged from a reservoir in the pump housing via a hose or a pipe that terminates in the toilet bowl.

GB 1 250 850 shows still another device for spraying a deodorant. This one, however, dispenses the deodorant into the room and not into the toilet bowl. The device includes a liquid that is pressurised and has a valve that is activated to discharge a spray when the seat ring is folded down and hits an operating lever that depresses and opens the valve. The valve comprises a mechanism that restricts the time the valve is open so that the deodorant container is not emptied at first time of use.

US 3 336 603 shows still another device for supplying a deodorant from a container and into a toilet bowl. The device with the container is fixed at the rear end of the seat ring and has a pipe with a nozzle that is directed into the toilet bowl. Further it has an operating arm for activation of a valve that can be opened for discharging deodorant under pressure from the container.

According to the present invention, a device of the introductorily said type is provided, which device is distinguished in that the means for dispensing the fluid is manually operable by means of a control device, which together with the fluid container is located external of the lavatory, that the holder element includes means for fixing to the lavatory, that the holder element comprises a passage for passing the fluid from the externally located container to a nozzle located internal of the lavatory, and that the fluid is an odour neutralising agent that is dispensed when the user, as desired, is activating the control device.

Preferably, the fluid is a pure natural product that primarily has a duty to neutralise the odour in the lavatory. This means that the fluid can be completely omit deodorant additives or disinfectants. One example of such a fluid is the product X-it ®, which exactly is in position of the above described quality. The fluid in this product is a liquid having the following declared content: water, inorganic salts, minerals and preservatives.

In one embodiment the means for dispensing fluid can be a pumping device and the fluid be in form of a liquid that is contained in the container and is under atmospheric pressure.

In a second embodiment the means for dispensing fluid can be an aerosol container and the fluid can be in form of a liquid pressurised gas in the container. Today aerosol containers with pure air as propellant exist.

If especially desired, the fluid can be added a deodorant, a disinfectant or a combination thereof.

Preferably the fluid container is replaceable, optionally the container can be opened and refilled with fresh liquid. The means for fixing of the holder element to the lavatory can be very simple, for example a double-faced tape.

The device is assembled of few elements so that it is cost effective to manufacture, is easy to fix to existing lavatories, is manually operable so that the person sitting on the lavatory him/herself decides when fluid is to be added and thus be able to dispense fluid while the odour still is restricted in the toilet bowl, the container is easy accessible for replacement or refilling, and not at least - none earlier devices of this nature does neutralise the odour directly in the toilet bowl or the lavatory before the odour disperses in the room.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will appear from the following description of for the time being preferred embodiments of the invention, given for the purpose of description, without thereby being limiting, and given in connection with the appended drawings, where: Fig.1 shows in perspective view a device according to the invention fixed to a water closet,

Fig.2 shows a side view of the device according to fig.l when fixed to a toilet bowl,

Fig.3 shows somewhat enlarged a cross section through the holder element along the line II-II in fig.2,

Fig.4 shows the device according to fig.1 viewed from above,

Fig.5 shows in perspective view a second embodiment of the device according to the invention intended for fixing to a dry closet or a typical outhouse, and

Fig.6 shows a side view of the device according to fig.5.

Reference is now made to the drawings for a detailed description of the device according to the invention. Fig.l shows a classic water closet 10 having a toilet bowl 9 and a foldable seat ring 8. The complete device for neutralising odour is given the reference number 7 and is disposed hanging over the upper rim 2 of the toilet bowl. It is thus to be understood that when the seat ring 8 is folded down the device 7 is lying between the toilet bowl 9 and the seat ring 8.

Fig.2 shows the device 7 in closer detail when it is fixed to the upper rim 9 of the toilet bowl 9. The device 7 comprises a holder element 1, which in the one end thereof carries a container 3 containing the fluid that is to be supplied directly into the atmosphere within the toilet bowl 9. The container 3 is suitably located easy accessible, both in view of operation and replacement/refill of the container 3, on the outside of the toilet bowl 9. A nozzle 5, or jet, is provided in the other end of the holder element 1 and is directed into the toilet bowl 9. The task of the nozzle 5 is to provide a spray mist that deposits as a gas cloud within the toilet bowl 9 and processes the odour instantly. At the underside of the holder element 1 is a means 11 for fixing the device 7 to the upper rim 2 of the toilet bowl. This means 11 can per se be of any suitable type that is able to fix the device 7 to the toilet bowl 9, and is here illustrated as a double-faced tape having a tear- off strip of known type. The strip reveals the glue surface at the moment the device 7 is to be fixed to the toilet bowl 9.

Fig.3 shows a cross section through the holder element 1 along the line II-II in fig.2. Here a channel 14 recessed in the holder element 1 and a passage 4 in form of a tubular body that is received within the channel 14 is shown. The tubular body 4 carries the fluid from the container 3 and forward to the nozzle 5 each time the device 7 is operated. The operation occurs in that a button 6 is depressed. The tubular body 4 can be a simple flexible plastic hose. The holder element 1 and the press button 6 are shown from above in fig.4.

It is to be understood, however, that the embodiment shown in fig.1-4 is illustrating both for an embodiment in which the container 3 contains a liquid that is under atmospheric pressure and an embodiment in which the container 3 constitutes an aerosol container that is pressurised. In the first mentioned embodiment the press button 6 is connected to a pump device (not shown) known by a person skilled in the art. The pump device is fixed to the holder element 1 and can repeatedly be operated by the press button 6 and thus expel liquid via the pipe 4 to the nozzle 5 and into the toilet bowl 9. When the container 3 is empty, this is unscrewed from the pump device in the holder element 1 , which remains on the upper rim 2 of the toilet bowl 9. This is in order to enable refilling of the separated container 3 with fresh odour neutralising liquid, and then again screw the container 3 into the pump device in the holder element 1. The holder element 1 has a depending skirt 13 that receives the upper part of the container 3. The upper part of the container 3 has external threads that fit with internal threads in the pumping device. Normally, in a known manner for this type of pump device used for other purposes, the entire pump mechanism and the press button 6 will then remain in the holder element 1 while the container 3 is removed for refilling.

In the second embodiment the press button 6 is connected to a valve (not shown) on an aerosol container known by a person skilled in the art. The valve can be operated by the button 6 and thus discharge pressurised gas out via the pipe 4 to the nozzle 5 and into the toilet bowl 9. In this case, when the aerosol container is empty, the complete container including the press button 6 is replaced. The external surface of the aerosol container may have a slight press fit to the internal surface of the depending skirt 13. If desired, the aerosol container can be secured by means of thread connections. Still another variant will be that the entire unit including the holder element 1, the nozzle 5 and the container 3 is replaced. In this and the preceding embodiment, it is also an option to let the tubular body 4, instead of being received in a channel 14 in the holder element 1, just be an integrated passage within the holder element 1. Then this passage forms communication between the nozzle 5 and the container 3. This will be of particular interest if the complete device 7 is not intended for reuse.

Now it is referred to fig.5, which shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention intended for use on a dry closet or a traditional outhouse 10a. Those components in common for both embodiments have the same reference numbers, but with the addition "a" after the number. The structural construction of the device 7a is substantially similar with the embodiments described above and those components only that deviate from these will be described here. For this type of lavatory 10a there is no upper rim to hang the device 7a over, so that the holder element la is differently designed in order to be able to use the invention on this type of lavatory 10a too.

As shown in fig.6 the holder element la is arranged for substantially vertical fixing to the side wall of the lavatory 10a, alternatively front wall, by means of a fastening means 1 la provided on a vertical surface of the holder element la. The fastening means 11a can, as previously be a double-faced tape. In the wall of the lavatory 10a a slot 12 has to be cut out, into which the extension of the holder element la is passed so that the nozzle 5a in this end projects into the enclosure of the lavatory 10a. It is to be understood that this embodiment also can be of the type with a pump device and a liquid container 3 a, alternatively of the aerosol container 3 a type having spray valve, both as described in detail above.

Claims

P a t e n t c l a i m s

1.

A device (7;7a) for neutralisation of odour in lavatory (10;10a), preferably while the lavatory (10;10a) is in use, which device (7;7a) comprises a holder element ( 1 ; 1 a) for fixing to the lavatory, a fluid container (3;3a) and means for dispensing the fluid from the container (3;3a), for directing the fluid into the lavatory (10;10a), c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the means for dispensing the fluid is manually operable by means of a control device (6;6a), which together with the fluid container (3;3a) is located external of the lavatory, that the holder element (l;la) includes means (11;1 la) for fixing to the lavatory (10; 10a), and comprises a passage (4) for passing the fluid from the externally located container (3;3a) to a nozzle (5;5a) located internal of the lavatory (10;10a) and that the fluid is an odour neutralising agent that is expelled when the user, as desired, is activating the control device (6;6a).

2.

A device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the means for dispensing fluid is a pump device and the fluid is in liquid form that is received in the container (3;3a) and is under atmospheric pressure.

3.

A device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the means for dispensing fluid is an aerosol container and the fluid is in form of liquid gas under pressure in the container (3;3a).

4.

A device according to one of the claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the fluid includes a deodorant.

5.

A device according to one of the claims 1-4, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the fluid includes a disinfectant.

6.

A device according to one of the claims 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the lavatory is a water closet, a dry closet or of the type

"outhouse".

7.

A device according to one of the claims 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the passage (4) is in form of a tubular body that is received in a channel (14) in the holder element (l;la).

8.

A device according to one of the claims 1-7, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the fluid container (3 ;3a) is replaceable.

9.

A device according to one of the claims 1-8, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the fluid includes a content consisting of water, inorganic salts, minerals and preservatives.

10.

A device according to one of the claims 1-9, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the means for fixing of the holder element (1; la) to the lavatory is a double-faced tape ( 11 ; 11 a).