EP0096698B1

EP0096698B1 - Improved treatment liquid dispenser for water closets

Info

Publication number: EP0096698B1
Application number: EP83900196A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bruno Lotti; Roberto Riggio
Original assignee: Wellcome Foundation Ltd
Current assignee: Wellcome Foundation Ltd
Priority date: 1981-12-04
Filing date: 1982-12-03
Publication date: 1986-04-09
Also published as: IT1172134B; GB2123047A; HK23787A; GB8318718D0; NL8220484A; GB2123047B; CH664993A5; MY8700252A; WO1983001974A1; EP0096698A1; IT8149847A0

Description

The present invention refers to a dispensing device for administering a pre-determined amount of treatment liquid into water closets, according to the preamble of claim 1.
In a known device of the above-mentioned type (US-A-2 682 059), a chamber is provided within a casing, which chamber is connected by means of a pipe to the flush pipe of the water closet. The inlet of this chamber can be closed by means of a valve which is connected to a float provided within said chamber.
Flushing water enters by said inlet said chamber until the water level rises said float and thus said valve which closes said inlet.
In the known device, said float is connected to a mechanically activated dispenser valve which is provided in the outlet of a container for treatment liquid. Thus, a metered amount of treatment liquid passes from said container into the water within said chamber.
At the end of the flushing, the pressure in the inlet of said chamber is released, said valve opens and the water within said chamber mixed with said treatment liquid is emptied into the flush pipe; the descending float closes hereby said dispenser valve.
The invention according to claim 1 uses instead of said mechanic dispenser valve a siphon valve actuated by the influx of flooding water.
This invention concerns a metering dispenser of treatment liquid in water closets, and more particulariy this invention concerns a device for the delivery of a determined amount of a bacteriostatic liquidagent at the time of flushing in such a way as to leave, after each operation, a bacteriologicaily "clean" unit for the next user.
The device according to the invention can advantageously be combined with a device delivering environmental deodorant by means of indirect positive activation with each operation.
According to this invention a device is foreseen associated with a dynamic liquid injector in a water-flush falling column associated with a valve device which allows the withdrawal, from time to time, of an amount of water precisely metered at the time of flushing by putting the said amount of water in communication with a liquid-liquid exchanger associated with a feed supplier from a container containing a bacteriostatic liquid or other treatment liquid.
The container, valve device and bottle of bacteriostatic liquid or other treatment liquid is designed in such a way that the movement of water into it induces an aspiration action such that a supplier of enviromental deodorant is activated,the deodorant being impregnated onto feit or similar material able to contain a volatile liquid or solid.
In a further aspect of the present invention, there is administered a metered amount of deodorant into the atmosphere which comprises a dispensing device as here in before defined, an aperture fitted to the casing of the device, and an enviromental deodorant dispenser impregnated with a volatile liquid or solid, the components being arranged such that during a flushing cycle, air is displaced through said aperture and a metered amount of deodorant is expelled into the atmosphere.
This invention will now be described by reference to one of its forms of embodiment currently prefered, this being illustrative and not limiting, and based on the appended design diagrams in which:
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show schematically in perspective, lateral and plan views respectively,the design of a device according to this invention.
Figure 4 shows an even more schematic view of the device according to the invention in the resting position.
In chamber 6 is found the dispenser-metering valve associated with tank 2 ofthe treatment or bacteriostatic liquid, made as described in the US-A- 2,839,763
The functioning and structure of the dispenser-metering valve shown in 7 is clearly described in detail in this US Patent publication, and a detailed description is not considered necessary here. It is enoughtosay that, with a siphon action movement, for each immersion of valve 7 a determined amount of bacteriostatic or other treatment liquid is delivered. The dispensing phase on the part of valve 7 is shown in Figure 6.
In Figure 7 is shown the end of the dispensing operation. In this phase the predominance of the water column traversing pipe is in the final phase and there is no longer a hydraulic counterpressure forcing valve 4 against seating 4a' and prohibiting the passage of water into chamber 3. Consequently, the predominance of the added treatment of bacteriostatic agent liquid present in chambers 3 and 6 preval is over the thrust of water in tube 9 and reaches the water closet unit.
It will be seen that concurrently with the actions described above there will be a displacement of air within the casing 1, whereby the deodorant dispenser element shown in Figure 1 will be subjected to a current of air which consequently releases a deodorant agent into the enviroment.
It will be seen that the solution according to this invention is particularly advantageous in that a calibrated dispensation of treatment agent, particularly a bacteriostatic agent, is produced without the use of external motor force save the almost gratuitous force supplied by the column of flushing water.
As an example, considering that container 2 can suitably be produced with a capacity of 600 ml and with a dispensation through metering valve 7 of 0.5 ml per flush, this content will suffice for 1200 flushes. Considering a mean use of 18 flushes per day, an operational time of 76 days can be attained.
It should be noted that with the device according to the invention, since the dispensing of treatment liquid is made at the end of the flushing, the concentration of treatment liquid remaining in the stagnant water of the water closet will be much higher than that obtained in similar devices with dilutionin the entire mass of flushing water.

Figure 5 shows, in succession to Figure 4 a view of the device according to the invention in there filling phase during a flushing operation.
Figure 6 shows a view analagous to that of Figure 5 in the phase of in flow of bacteriostatic liquid or other treatment liquid, and
Figure 7 shows, similarly to Figure 6, the discharge phase of the device according to the invention.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, according to the invention the device comprises a casing 1 containing a tank 2 of treatment liquid, particularly a bacteriostatic liquid, an aspiration chamber 3 the flooding of which is controlled by a valve 4 associated with a float 5, and an exchange or dilution chamber 6 fed from tank 2 via a metering dispenser valve 7. The side of valve 4 turned towards the outside is connected by pipe 8 to the water flush falling column 9. The water is forced through conduit 8 by means of a hydrodynamic dispenser device symbolized by the element 10.
Corresponding to the external part turned towards the outside of casing 1 is conveniently arranged a dispenser of enviromental deodorant 11 of the type comprising a feit unit or other similar material which dispenses a deodorant in accordance with the aspiration action induced by the displacement of liquid in chambers 3 and 6.
With reference to Figures 4-7, the functioning of the device according to this invention will now be described.
As shown in Figure 4, in the resting position the valve 4 is disposed againstthe seal presentat the end of pipe 8, and the device is ready for operation.
With a flushing operation the tube 9 is traversed by a column of moving water, part of which is captured by element 10 of the hydrodynamic dispenser and is sent through pipe 8 so as to refill chamber 3 and raise the float 5 until the valve 4 blocks the subsequent flow of water by sealing against seating 4a. The water which reaches the aspiration chamber 3 passes through a passage (no reference numeral) to reach the exchange or dilution chamber 6.

Claims

1. A dispensing device for administering a pre-determined amount of treatment liquid into water closets, comprising a casing (1) within which is a chamber (3, 6) having a water inlet which is adapted to the connection with the flush pipe of a water closet, a float-operated valve (4, 5), the float (5) thereof being disposed within said chamber (3, 6) and the valve (4) thereof being adapted to block said water inlet, and a container-dispenser (2, 7) connected with the chamber (3, 6) and being adapted to dispense said pre-determined amount of treatment liquid into said chamber (3, 6) when the chamber is flooded by a flow of flushing water,
characterized in

- that the chamber (3, 6) is patritioned into a first chamber (3) comprising said water inlet and said float (5) and a second chamber (6) cooperating with said container-dispenser (2, 7), the arrangement of said first and second chamber being such that flooding water may pass freely between the two chambers, and

- that the container-dispenser (2, 7) is formed as a siphon valve actuated by the influx of flooding water.

2. A dispensing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized by an aperture fitted to the casing (1), and an environmental deodorant dispenser (11) impregnated with a volatile liquid or solid, the components being arranged such that during a flushing cycle air is displaced through said aperture, and a metered amount of deodorant is expelled into the atmosphere.