CN104919117A

CN104919117A - Urinal screen

Info

Publication number: CN104919117A
Application number: CN201380070607.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: D·德阿密克
Original assignee: Belmay Inc
Current assignee: Belmay Inc
Priority date: 2012-12-12
Filing date: 2013-12-12
Publication date: 2015-09-16
Also published as: CA2893212A1; EP2941508A4; KR20150094699A; WO2014093593A1; HK1210240A1; US20140157501A1; EP2941508A1

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide domed urinal screens. In preferred embodiments the screens include a hub, a plurality of spokes radiating downward from the hub, and a plurality of concentric rings supported by the spokes. Compositions deterring accumulation of fluids on urinal screens are also disclosed.

Description

Urinal screen cloth

The cross reference of related application

This application claims the U.S. Utility Patent application No.13/836 enjoying in and submit on March 15th, 2013, the U.S. Provisional Application No.61/736 that on December 12nd, 788 and 2012 submits to, the priority of 201.Aforementioned two sections of application documents are incorporated herein with as a reference.

Technical field

The embodiment of the present invention relates to the field of urinal pad and screen cloth.In certain embodiments, urinal pad and screen cloth can be fragrant.Additional embodiment relates to the composition for the formation of urinal pad and urinal screen cloth.

Background technology

Urinal is generally used in lavatory.Although flushing toilet bowl ubiquity a period of time in men's lavatory, in order to economize on water and energy-conservation, non-washed formula urinal (or " Waterless urinal ") day by day receives an acclaim.

But urinal has a large amount of shortcoming.Material (such as, chewing gum or stub) except urine or water is discarded in urinal and can blocks gutter or cause looking unsightly before can clearing up urinal.This is particularly thorny for non-washed formula urinal, and wherein gutter may guide Storage and Processing region into immediately.Non-urine rubbish accumulates in the function that can weaken urinal in this region, and needs frequently to clear up urinal, Storage and Processing region and any relevant pipeline.

Also there is the problem of urine possibility " splash " to user in urinal.This may have many reasons, comprises hard surface and the angle of urinal.The water be retained in urinal is expelled to the visible level of user also may cause the urine splash when urine clashes into delay pond.

Suggested the kinds of schemes addressed these and other problems.Modal scheme uses " urinal screen cloth ", and it is also referred to as " urinal pad " or referred to as " screen cloth ".The most simple form of urinal screen cloth is usually rounded or the smooth polymer sheet of sub-circular, described smooth polymer sheet comprises one or more hole, aperture is enough large to allow urine flow through screen cloth and enter gutter, but enough little of to stop other refuse to pass through.In some cases, described smooth polymer sheet comprises the central housing containing deodorant blocks.This deodorant blocks can comprise surfactant or chelating agent.Urinal screen cloth extends on the drainage of most of urinal, but if gutter has lid, then urinal screen cloth is placed near gutter usually.

In U.S. Patent No. 8,007, an example of urinal screen cloth has been shown in 707.Be somebody's turn to do the smooth polymer sheet that ' 707 patents describe a kind of ethane-acetic acid ethyenyl ester.' 707 patent also describes sheet material and is mounted with aromatic material.The screen cloth of patent ' 707 also comprises from the outstanding multiple vertical protuberance of screen cloth.' 707 according to patent, these vertical protuberances increase the surface area of screen cloth and have interrupted urine stream, thus stop or reduce splash.Regrettably, as pointed in patent ' 707, this kind of screen cloth is easy to floating.Thus, this kind of screen cloth is unsatisfactory for being applied in hydropexic urinal, because screen cloth may be promoted or wash from suitable position, and allows chip to enter gutter.And what protuberance provided claims that advantage is not finally definitely confirmed, and when providing large flat surfaces to amass, splash still has sizable possibility.

Screen cloth shown in patent ' 707 and similar screen cloth usually also and unsatisfactory because they do not flow out urine.On the contrary, urine may rest on the flat surfaces between each hole in screen cloth, or urine may remain in the meniscus place be formed with holes.The urine of slow evaporation creates undesirable smell, and possibility retained sediments thing, sediment little by little accumulates and plugging hole, hinders normal urine flow and exacerbate this problem further.The urine remained in meniscus or on screen cloth further promotes growing of bacterium and fungi.This problem is particularly thorny for Waterless urinal, because there is not flush operation to mean that residual any urine will be ad infinitum residual, till evaporation.

In U.S. Patent No. 6,920, another example of urinal screen cloth has been shown in 648.Patent ' 648 describe a kind of screen cloth, and described screen cloth comprises soft segmentation support foot, and described soft segmentation support foot has central opening and comprises the central protuberance housing of deodorant blocks.This screen cloth comprises also by the multiple grooves of urine left at meniscus place.In addition, the planar top surface of the screen cloth of patent ' 648 also can promote splash, instead of hinders splash.

Desirably need the urinal screen cloth providing a kind of economy, and there is not one or more above-mentioned shortcoming.Certainly, for the device be in each right, can eliminate one or more above-mentioned shortcoming is not necessary condition.

Summary of the invention

The embodiment provides urinal screen cloth.In a preferred embodiment, screen cloth is cheese screen cloth, and it comprises center hub section, therefrom heart hub section outwards and multiple spoke of downward radiation and multiple concentric rings of being supported by spoke.Although it is to be noted that be " dome " by the generic term of use herein, typical urinal screen cloth of the present invention does not have emerge, thus refers to or rather " spherical caps " accurate meaning.

In certain embodiments, the top surface of spoke and/or ring can be smooth.In other embodiments, top surface can be wavy.In other embodiments, spoke and/or ring can pool angle points.

The composition that other embodiments of the invention provide is conducive to the urinal screen cloth preparing design disclosed herein and other design.The material that these compositions comprise increases the hydrophobicity of polymer mesh, thus reduces the delay of screen cloth to urine.

Accompanying drawing explanation

To be incorporated in this manual and the accompanying drawing forming a part for manual shows some aspects of the present invention, and each accompanying drawing is used from together with description one and explains principle of the present invention.In the drawings and in which:

Fig. 1 shows the top view of the first embodiment of the present invention, bottom view, angled top view and angled bottom view.

Fig. 2 shows the top view of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, angled top view and lateral view.The present embodiment comprises zigzag ring, have the bending of the recessed downside that extends beyond outer shroud but spoke and circular hub section continuously.

Fig. 3 shows the lateral view of another embodiment of the present invention, bottom view and top view.In the present embodiment, spoke is discontinuous, and center hub section is less than the center hub section shown in embodiment of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the top view of three different similar embodiment of height diameter ratio, angled view and lateral view.The measurement provided in Fig. 4 is only exemplary, is not intended to limit the present invention.In each case, the diameter of screen cloth is about 150mm, but this is also only exemplary.

Fig. 5 shows the top view of three different embodiments and angled lateral view.Each embodiment in Fig. 5 has different hub section designs.They also have the spoke ending at outer shroud place.

Fig. 6 shows the details of the drop line at place of rib bottom centre.

Fig. 7 shows some embodiments of the present invention, and each embodiment has carried out different interpolations to outermost ring, flows away from screen cloth to assist urine.They from left to right comprise: multiple protuberances be separated that outside and bottom around most external ring are arranged; There is the most external ring of wavy irregular bottom; And the large serrated portion of rule be positioned on the bottom of most external ring.

Fig. 8 shows the angled top view of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 9 shows the bottom view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 8.

Figure 10 shows the lateral view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 8.

Figure 11-14 shows other embodiment and the feature of screen cloth of the present invention.

Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with specific preferred embodiment, be not intended to the present invention to be limited to these embodiments.On the contrary, be intended that in the spirit and scope of the invention contained and be in and limited by claim of enclosing all substitute, amendment and equivalent.

Detailed description of the invention

The embodiment provides a kind of urinal screen cloth.Urinal screen cloth can have the one or more favourable aspect relevant to shape and/or composition, as hereafter more fully set forth.

I. composition

Embodiments of the invention are made up of one or more polymer usually, include but not limited to mixture or the copolymer of high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene, acrylate copolymer, Merlon, polyurethane, nylon, ethane-acetic acid ethyenyl ester (EVA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and aforementioned thing.In a preferred embodiment, urinal screen cloth is made up of EVA, and it is the copolymer of ethene and vinyl acetate.

The molecular weight ranges of the EVA used in the present invention can such as 10,000 dalton to 100, between 000 dalton, preferably 22,000 to 87, and 000 dalton.This provide durability, and screen cloth loads the possibility of the aromatic discharged in time.EVA screen cloth is formed by mold pressing usually, but the manufacturing process of screen cloth is usually unimportant to the characteristic of final screen cloth.

In certain embodiments, EVA is impregnated with aromatic.This is such as formed by heating EVA pearl and a certain amount of aromatic, subsequently cooling pearl and aromatic.By in case of heating, carry out stirring via swing roller blender and combine EVA pearl, aromatic and other additive.Can according to percentage by weight from 5 to 40%, from 20 to 40%, from 30 to 40%, from 5 to 10%, from 5 to 20%, from 5 to 30% with from 5 to 35%, aromatic is introduced polymer.In other embodiments, according to percentage by weight for about 1%, aromatic introduces in polymer by about 10%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35% or about 40%.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that, one or more aromatic can be used in an embodiment of the present invention; But consider other improvement discussed herein, some embodiments of the present invention are without the need to comprising any aromatic.If need to add aromatic, then can from by FDA Food and Drug Administration according to 21 of federal regulations code 172.510 joints and 172.515 save foreign exchange volume those aromatic select suitable aromatic, these contents are incorporated herein with as a reference.The fragrance ingredient being selected from benzaldehyde, phenol, cinnamic acid and ester, octadiene, alkadienes, cyclohexadiene and terpenes can be used in the present invention.Aromatic oil is also suitable for being used alone, or combinationally uses with other aromatic.Suitable aromatic oil is such as perfumery oil, flowers oil and fruit oil.

Other suitable aromatic includes but not limited to phenmethylol, ethyl maltol, furanone, n-hexyl alcohol, cis-3-hexenol, menthol, benzaldehyde, hexanal, cinnamic acid, citral, cis-3-hexenoic aldehyde, furfural, neral, vanillic aldehyde, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl caprate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl caprilate, hexyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, methylbutanoic acid methyl esters, gaultherolin, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, American aloe, strawberry aldehyde, apple ester, anethole, methyl phenyl ethers anisole, eugenol, anisole, 2-acetyl pyrrole quinoline, 6-acetyl group-2, 3, 4, 5 – tetrahydropyridines, γ-decalactone, nonyl lactone, δ-octalactone, jasmine lactone, massoia lactone, camphor, citronellol, linalool, nerol, nerolidol, alpha-terpineol, absinthol and thymol.

Embodiment also comprises the component for neutralizer flavor.These components can be intended to hide, neutralize and/or prevent to feel stench.The example of suitable smell neutralization additive comprises such as but not limited to activated carbon, active anthracite, zeolite, silica gel and sodium acid carbonate.

Embodiments of the invention can comprise other non-aromatic additive.Such as, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, screen cloth comprises the hydrophily and increase one or more additives hydrophobic that are designed to reduce screen cloth.Change these characteristics and increase the trend that urine leaves screen cloth because urine formed " pearl ", this surface at screen cloth tilt or angularly time decrease residual amount of urine and make urine be easier to flow out.Although this is favourable when screen cloth is applied to typical washing type urinal, particularly useful when screen cloth is used for Waterless urinal, because urine will flow away from screen cloth and enter gutter, and without the need to other operation.Reduce urine remnants and decrease the bad smell remaining relevant to urine and other effect.

Applicant has been found that a large amount of additive is suitable for reducing the hydrophily of EVA or other polymer used in screen cloth.These additives comprise such as but not limited to silicone, silicon wax, alkyl methyl siloxane and dimethicone.For multiple reason, comprise at screen cloth own body the block that these additives are better than containing surfactant.The hydrophily depressant comprised such as, comprises these additives at screen cloth own body and there is the favourable useful life of longer expection, because can not be consumed and use up as disposable urinal block or cake block.Secondly, screen cloth can flow out water (and thus flowing out urine), without the need to the thorny surfactant of possibility or chelating agent being released in environment, and conventional urinal block or cake block is adopted the thorny surfactant of possibility or chelating agent to be released in environment.

In various embodiments, feature needed for specific screen, can add other additives various of such as color admixture.Plasticizing agent can also be added to for the polymeric material in embodiments of the invention.These plasticizing agent can comprise such as diethyl phthalate and glycerol triacetate.

II. shape

Embodiments of the invention can be shaped according to one or more modes providing many favourable aspects.The present invention's particularly preferred embodiment can be understood with reference to figure 1.Although Fig. 1 includes the multiple favourable aspect in single screen cloth, those skilled in the art are easily it is appreciated that many advantages disclosed herein can separately or combine with other side and come into force.

Fig. 1 shows the urinal screen cloth comprising central hub portion 1, and multiple spoke 3 is suspended from described urinal screen cloth.Spoke supports multiple concentric ring 5.Because the spoke illustrated in the present embodiment is bent downwardly from hub section, thus ring relative to central position in different At The Heights.Ring and spoke collectively form multiple space, urine can flow through described space.This can realize and can not form meniscus, helps urine flow to gutter widely.

The domed shape of the urinal screen cloth shown in Fig. 1 has multiple advantage.First, the height of the substantial portion of screen cloth contributes to stoping screen cloth to swim on the water surface of any water residued in urinal gutter.These are different from other screen cloth, especially different from other EVA screen cloth, if the water surface remained in gutter is enough high, then other EVA screen cloth described may swim on the water surface.This to allow below fragment flow to screen cloth and to enter gutter.

Screen cloth is resisted weight that floating ability also provides by the polymer in hub section and is assisted.And hub section rests on the trend being only second to the darkest delay gutter (the darkest described delay gutter water may only be formed due to urinal fault) waterborne, provides consistent evaporation paths to any aromatic be included in screen cloth.

Cheese screen cloth provides other significant advantage.Such as, domed shape provide space for screen cloth is placed on there is outstanding drain-pipe cover urinal gutter above.This is significantly different from conventional smooth screen cloth, and conventional smooth screen cloth to be usually optionally placed in urinal and can not to play any decoration function.

Applicant surprisingly finds, although EVA has relative resilient, when screen cloth is made up of EVA, screen cloth can maintain domed shape.This allows screen cloth to have relative stiffness shape, and it stops the distortion produced allowing chip to enter urinal gutter.Although screen cloth can be out of shape, its usually just return back to distortion without lifting an eyebrow before shape.This can be called as " semi-rigid ", and itself and existing conventional screen form remarkable contrast, and the usual free bend of conventional screen with the bottom shape of the urinal be roughly placed in one in them, and can not maintain domed shape.

Cheese screen cloth also prevents splash significantly.This is the result that a large amount of element is formed with unexpected advantageous combination effect.First, dome defines important space, and urine can flow before shock is detained urine pond.This results in more open region compared with conventional screen, and do not lose the ability of screen cloth protection gutter.If urine flow is reflected by accident, then it very likely strikes the parts of dome and is retained, instead of splash.The second, curved dome and conventional screen are obviously different, and conventional screen defines the reflecting surface perpendicular to typical urine stream and facilitates splash.Smooth screen cloth uses a large amount of hair-like or pin like elements to suppress splash sometimes; Regrettably, these hair-like or pin like elements also accumulated debris, makes them seem dirtier.Hair-like or pin like elements be a large amount of accumulated urine also, makes odor problem even more serious.

The height of dome and curvature can change.Usually, the ratio of dome height and dome diameter is about 1:4, but also can change in a large number within the scope of this.Such as, in certain embodiments, the ratio of dome height and dome diameter is between 1:2-1:8,1:2-1:6,1:2-1:4,1:4-1:6,1:4-1:8 or 1:6-1:8.Fig. 4 shows three different embodiments of the present invention, and the height diameter ratio of each embodiment is different from other embodiment.These embodiments or can adopt metal urinal gutter and have different application according to the size of such as urinal.

The spoke of screen cloth and ring design additionally provide significant advantage, to avoid the formation of meniscus.The differing heights of concentric ring defines space, described space angularly and be not easy to formed meniscus.If possible there is meniscus, then angled space makes the meniscus life-span very short.

By using angle or the curvature of spoke and ring, prevent formation meniscus further.In certain embodiments, spoke has pinnacle.In other embodiments, ring has pinnacle or contoured top, as the pinnacle of spoke or supplementing or alternative of beads.The top of spoke and ring and bottom can be all cusp configuration or wavy.

When the top of spoke or ring is cusp configuration, narrower pointed angle trends towards more effectively flowing out urine; But excessive angle weakens the anti-splash advantage of screen cloth.More sharp-pointed angle more effectively promotes urine flow and crosses screen cloth; Usually, angle draining and present by formed splash flat surfaces between balance.

Except apex angles or curvature, spoke place bottom it can have one or more spine, and described one or more spine is parallel to or is roughly parallel to the direction of spoke.These spines contribute to guiding urine leave screen bottom and enter gutter.The edge of spoke and/or ring, preferably terminal edge can be knuckle-tooth or jagged.This can reduce the amount of urine be trapped on screen cloth further.These sawtooth enter each spoke or ring without the need to extending any length-specific, but usually make them extend into the part of ring between 1% to 25%.They can be positioned on the one or both sides of each ring or spoke.Sample sawtooth has been shown in Fig. 2.As shown in the figure, such as, in FIG, the downside of each spoke can be recessed, or along the whole length of spoke or the partial-length along spoke.

Spoke can end at most external ring place, as it is shown in the embodiment of figure 5.In certain embodiments, and such as shown in Fig. 1 and 2 and other places, spoke can also extend beyond the periphery of most external ring.This can help urine flow and stop bottom part ring to be directly placed in bottom urinal, and has processed urine potentially and flow between screen bottom and toilet surface.

Supplementary features can be comprised to strengthen flowing at the downside place of one or more ring.Usually, described supplementary features are positioned at the downside place of last ring.Fig. 7 shows the multiple additional selection scheme bottom ring.What outside and the bottom shown around most external ring of the left column in Fig. 7 was arranged is multiplely separated protuberance.The middle column of Fig. 7 shows the most external ring with wavy, irregular bottom.Right column in Fig. 7 shows large on bottom most external ring and the serrated portion of rule.

Spoke can comprise enhancing and removes urine from screen cloth and promote that it enters the further feature in gutter.Such as, the bottom of one or more spoke can include " drop line ".This drop line is usually located at the center bottom each rib, helps to draw the center of guiding urine flow away from screen cloth.It is the details that this element is shown in Fig. 6.

Although shown in Figure 1 and be described as " center hub section ", this is not the unique feasible structure of the center part of the embodiment of the present invention.Figure 5 illustrates alternative, it comprises circular central hub section, flat central hub section and has the center hub section in the hole for urine flowing.

The many improvement provided by screen cloth of the present invention allow to reduce the amount of urine be trapped on screen cloth significantly, thus provide significant advantage to washing type urinal and non-washed formula urinal.Such as, the amount of urine that embodiments of the invention can keep is the amount of 1-10%, 1-5%, 2-4% or about 4% relative to its original weight.

Although described the embodiment of the present invention with dome or spherical cap shape, should be understood that, if the length of each spoke is unequal, then ring can be oval.Conical by its shape can also be formed.Although some embodiments define normal cone really, this is not the shape of unique feasible.In all embodiments of the invention, ring does not need to be all concentric.In certain embodiments, ring is circular at side place, and is smooth at opposite side place, is suitably placed in the urinal with smooth back and short drainage to allow screen cloth.

Although the spoke in Fig. 1 therefrom heart hub section starts to be linear and continuous print, should recognize in certain embodiments, spoke is not linear.In certain embodiments, spoke is not continuous print.In certain embodiments, spoke is neither be linear, also discrete.Such as, Fig. 2 show continuously but in end and nonlinear spoke.

Spoke in embodiment shown in Fig. 3 discontinuous therefrom heart hub section are radiated to the end of most terminal ring.Instead, by a series of less spoke, each ring is connected to next ring.In this embodiment, the ability that spoke is relative to each other interlocked prevents the space between each ring to aim at, thus allows to increase urine flowing and the further possibility reducing urine and be detained.

Example

The example object hereafter provided helps skilled in the art to understand the present invention.Be not to be understood that the scope which limit each claim.

Show the preferred embodiment of screen cloth of the present invention in figs. 8-10.Fig. 8 shows the angled top view of the screen cloth with center hub section, annulus and discontinuous spoke.The width of each ring changes along ring, thus allows between each ring and each spoke, form the inconsistent space of shape.As shown in Figure 9, the downside of each ring is recessed.Figure 10 is lateral view, it illustrates most external ring and comprises length at its bottom margin place and the serrated portion of rule, to help transport and to remove urine.After testing, applicant finds to lack 24% of the parts of urinal screen cloth of the present invention and the prior art urinal screen cloth Mean Residence fluid original weight of shape, and screen cloth of the present invention is only detained 4%.

Certainly, according to advantage of the present invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that and can change theme disclosed herein and substitute.Each claim contains the material be in the scope and spirit of claim in maximum possible range.

Claims

1. a urinal screen cloth, described urinal screen cloth comprises:

Center hub section;

Multiple spoke, described multiple spoke is from described center hub section outwards and suspended downwards; And

Multiple concentric ring, wherein, described multiple concentric ring centers around center hub section, and, support described multiple concentric ring by described multiple spoke, and described multiple spoke and multiple concentric ring define semirigid domed shape.

2. urinal screen cloth according to claim 1, wherein, described center hub section is circular, spherical, annular, square, rhombus or hemispheric.

3. urinal screen cloth according to claim 1, wherein, described urinal screen cloth comprises ethane-acetic acid ethyenyl ester (EVA).

4. urinal screen cloth according to claim 3, wherein, described urinal screen cloth also comprises at least one in the group be made up of dimethicone and silicone.

5. urinal screen cloth according to claim 4, described urinal screen cloth also comprises at least one aromatic.

6. urinal screen cloth according to claim 3, described urinal screen cloth also comprises at least one aromatic.

7. urinal screen cloth according to claim 1, wherein, described multiple spoke and described multiple concentric ring form the framework of cone.

8. urinal screen cloth according to claim 1, wherein, the framework of described multiple spoke and described multiple annular concentric globulate lid.

9. urinal screen cloth according to claim 1, wherein, the length of described multiple spoke is equal.

10. urinal screen cloth according to claim 1, wherein, each in described multiple spoke has top surface, and the top surface of at least one spoke is pointed.

11. urinal screen clothes according to claim 1, wherein, each in described multiple spoke has top surface, and the top surface of at least one spoke is wavy.

12. urinal screen clothes according to claim 1, wherein, each in described multiple spoke has basal surface, and the basal surface of at least one spoke is wavy.

13. urinal screen clothes according to claim 1, wherein, each in described multiple concentric ring has top surface, and wherein, the top surface of at least one concentric ring is pointed.

14. urinal screen clothes according to claim 1, wherein, each in described multiple concentric ring has basal surface, and wherein, and the basal surface of at least one concentric ring is wavy, indentation or is furnished with multiple vertical protuberance.

15. urinal screen clothes according to claim 1, wherein, each in described multiple concentric ring has circular cross section.

16. urinal screen clothes according to claim 1, wherein, each in described multiple spoke has basal surface, and the basal surface of at least one spoke in described multiple spoke comprises linear projection along the length of described spoke.

17. urinal screen clothes according to claim 1, wherein, at least one in described spoke and described concentric ring is at least one edge's indentation.

18. 1 kinds of urinal screen clothes, described urinal screen cloth includes EVA and at least one in the group that is made up of dimethicone, alkyl methyl siloxane and silicone.

19. urinal screen clothes according to claim 18, described urinal screen cloth also comprises at least one aromatic.

20. 1 kinds of urinal screen clothes, described urinal screen cloth includes at least one in the group be made up of dimethicone, alkyl methyl siloxane and silicone.