EP0349409A1 - Product support, especially a colouring product adapted to be hooked to the rim of a toilet bowl - Google Patents

Abstract

This support, moulded in one piece (1), comprises a cage (2) composed of a perforated upper cage-half (6) and a lower cage-half (5), which are articulated to one another by a film hinge (7). The lower cage-half (5), forming a receptacle for the flush water and having an outlet orifice (16) intended to communicate with a bent pipe forming a trap, carries an appendage (10) on the outside, in which the two branches of this trap are delimited. The upper cage-half (6) carries the cover (10e) of this appendage (10). In the assembled position of the cage-halves (5 and 6), the joining zone (14) between the two branches of the trap is thus reconstituted. The suspension hook (3), carried by the lower cage-half (5), is tiltable between a folded-over position in which it is advantageously obtained during moulding and an unfolded position for use, in which it is held by lugs (26) carried by the upper cage-half (6). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a product support, in particular a dye, intended to be hung on the rim of a toilet bowl.

The purpose of such a device is to dispense a colored solution produced for a limited time following the actuation of the flush and intended for cleaning and / or disinfecting toilet bowls, and it is, so common, consisting of a stick of water-soluble disinfectant device inside an openwork cage, the latter being associated with a hook allowing its suspension on the rim of the toilet bowl. When the flush is activated, part of the flushing water flows over the perforated cage and causes, by dissolution in the bottom of the bowl, part of the active substances contained in the stick of product.

In addition, most of the time, the stick of disinfectant contains a dye to tint the water with each use of the flush. However, the use of disinfectant and coloring sticks has the disadvantage that after each actuation of the flush, it occurs quite naturally when the bars of the cage and the stick of product contained therein are drained. Under these conditions, drops of water with increasing concentration of dye can fall, sometimes for several hours, on the walls of the bowl, leaving a colored trail, which is unattractive and which can be all the more difficult to make it disappear that the draining of the cage lasted longer.

To remedy this drawback, one can first of all think of using a cage, the lower part of which constitutes a reservoir provided with an outlet orifice. It follows that the drainage of the perforated upper part of the cage and stick is done inside the cage tank; however, the water level in the tank, after actuation of the flush, is flush with the level of the outlet orifice and if there is a dripping of the perforated part, the water level rises, which results by a loss of colored water drops flowing through the outlet of the tank. As a result, draining is always obtained, but at a lower dye concentration since it comes from the outlet orifice of the reservoir.

To completely solve the problem posed above, in other words to completely eliminate the phenomenon of dripping in order to prevent the formation of colored streaks, it has then been proposed that the outlet orifice of the reservoir opens into a bent pipe forming a siphon, the elbow of which is disposed above the outlet.

When the flush is activated, the water level in the tank passes above the elbow of the siphon pipe; the siphon is then primed and there is a flow of colored water passing through the siphon pipe; when the water level drops below the outlet of the tank, air enters the interior of the siphon pipe and causes the latter to be defused. In this case, even if there is a dripping of the disinfectant and coloring stick or the bars of the cage inside the tank, the water level inside the cage can rise slightly towards the level of the elbow of the siphon, without this resulting in a loss of colored water drops.

Numerous realizations of supports for disinfecting and coloring sticks with siphons have been presented, which are arranged inside or outside the cage. The embodiments in which the siphon is placed in the cage are extremely expensive, such arrangement involving complicated molding and / or placing of added parts in the cage.

A first simplification of manufacture has been brought about by the arrangement of the siphon outside the cage, as shown by the various embodiments described in French patent n ° 81-09221 and in its first certificate of addition. However, in all these embodiments, the suspension hook, by which the siphon pipe is at least partially defined, is an element attached to the cage. Thus, such embodiments with an external siphon require a phase of assembling the hook to the cage.

The present invention aims to further simplify the manufacture of product supports intended to be hung on the rim of a toilet bowl and provided with an external siphon.

To this end, it is proposed, according to the present invention, that the support be made in one piece by plastic molding, the siphon pipe being defined by a member carried by an upper half-cage and by a complementary member carried by a lower half-cage, the two half-cages being interconnected by at least one film hinge. Furthermore, the suspension hook is carried by one of the half-cages, for example the lower half-cage, and provision can be made for it to be articulated so as to be able to be molded in a position folded down. The relative arrangement of the complementary members which should constitute the siphon, of the articulation of the half-cages and of the suspension hook is then chosen so that the support can be molded in the above-mentioned folded position of the hook and in the open position. half cages.

After molding, a simple folding of the upper half-cage on the lower half-cage in which the stick of disinfecting and coloring substance was placed, followed by the locking of the cage as well constituted by complementary latching means provided for this purpose, allows the support to be reconstituted. The hook is then placed in its position allowing the suspension on the rim of a toilet bowl.

The present invention therefore relates to the new industrial product that constitutes a support formed, on the one hand, by a cage intended to contain a product used in particular as a coloring agent for flushing water and as a disinfectant and, on the other hand , of a hook allowing the suspension of the cage on the edge of a toilet bowl, the cage comprising a bottom and a side wall defining a reservoir for flushing water and an openwork upper part for the passage of the latter , an outlet orifice being formed in the wall of the tank, said outlet orifice communicating with an angled pipe forming a siphon located and opening out from the tank, the elbow of the pipe being disposed above said outlet orifice but below the upper edge of the tank, the end of the bent pipe, which does not communicate directly with the outlet orifice being situated at a level lower than that of the c oude, the cage consisting of a lower half-cage comprising the flushing water tank and an upper half-cage carrying said perforated part, the half-cages being articulated to each other by at least a film hinge and comprising complementary locking members ensuring the joining of the two half-cages to reconstitute the complete cage, the suspension hook being carried by one of the half-cages and coming from molding with it, characterized by the fact that the half-cages externally carry complementary members coming from molding with each of them and defining, in the reconstituted position of the complete cage, the bent pipe of the siphon.

In accordance with a particular embodiment of the support according to the present invention, the member carried by the lower half-cage to define the bent pipe forming a siphon is constituted by an appendage open at its upper part and divided into two compartments, one delimiting the first branch of the elbow of the bent siphon pipe, which is disposed downstream of the outlet port of the tank carried by the lower half-cage, and the other delimiting the second branch of the elbow of said bent siphon pipe which opens to the outside, and the complementary member carried by the upper half-cage is constituted by a cover intended to close said appendage to its upper part and constitute with it the connecting part between the two branches of the bent pipe forming a siphon.

The appendage is in particular formed over the entire height of the lower half-cage and the cover of said appendage is constituted by a return angle towards the outside formed on the edge of the upper half-cage.

In accordance with a particular embodiment, the appendix consists of a housing delimited by a side wall which has a common part with that of the lower half-cage and which is connected to a bottom, said housing internally comprising a partition s' extending substantially perpendicular to the associated wall of the lower half-cage between the bottom and the vicinity of the upper opening of said appendage, this partition dividing said housing into a hollow compartment in communication with the outlet opening of the tank, and into a full compartment crossed from one end to the other by a channel constituting the second branch of the bent pipe forming a siphon, thus opening into the bottom of said housing.

According to particular features of the present invention, the half-cages of the support assemble in a plane substantially coincident with the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the cage, and the half-cages have a substantially parallelepiped shape.

The siphon pipe can be arranged laterally with respect to the hinge (s) of articulation between the two half-cages.

Advantageously, the suspension hook is carried by the lower half-cage, and, in the aforementioned case where the siphon pipe is disposed laterally with respect to the articulation between the two half-cages, it is advantageously disposed opposite of this siphon pipe.

Furthermore, the hook can be articulated by its base to the lower half-cage using a film hinge, in order to be able to be moved between a folded position along the half-cages themselves in the deployed position, in which it is formed during molding, and a deployed position corresponding to the position of use. In this arrangement, the hook can advantageously cooperate with retaining means carried by the upper half-cage.

To better understand the object of the present invention, there will be described below, purely by way of illustration and not limitation, an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing.

• - les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues en perspective du support selon l'invention, prêt à être accroché sur le rebord d'une cuvette de toilettes, la figure 1 montrant le côté portant le crochet de suspension et la figure 2, celui portant l'appendice de la cage délimitant intérieurement la canalisation coudée formant siphon ;
• - la figure 3 représente en coupe dans le plan longitudinal vertical moyen de la cage le détail A de la figure 2 ;
• - la figure 4 est une vue de dessus selon IV-IV de la figure 5, du support des figures 1 et 2, tel qu'il est obtenu au moulage. - la figure 5 est une vue en élévation latérale du support dans la position de la figure 4, selon V-V de cette dernière ; et
• - la figure 6 est une vue en coupe de la cage et de la partie du crochet de suspension adjacent à la cage, dans la position assemblée du support, cette coupe étant effectuée dans le plan transversal vertical moyen de la cage.

On this drawing :

• - Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of the support according to the invention, ready to be hung on the rim of a toilet bowl, Figure 1 showing the side carrying the suspension hook and Figure 2, that bearing the appendix of the cage internally delimiting the bent pipe forming a siphon;
• - Figure 3 shows in section in the mean vertical longitudinal plane of the cage the detail A of Figure 2;
• - Figure 4 is a top view along IV-IV of Figure 5, of the support of Figures 1 and 2, as obtained by molding. - Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the support in the position of Figure 4, according to VV thereof; and
• - Figure 6 is a sectional view of the cage and of the part of the suspension hook adjacent to the cage, in the assembled position of the support, this section being made in the mean vertical transverse plane of the cage.

Referring to the appended drawing, it can be seen that 1 has designated, as a whole, a support composed of a cage 2 and a hook 3 allowing the cage 2 to be suspended on the rim of a bowl. bathroom. The cage 2 contains a stick 4 of disinfectant and coloring product, which is shown in broken lines in FIG. 6.

The cage 2 consists of a lower half-cage 5 and an upper half-cage 6, if we consider the support 1 in its position of use, the two half-cages 5 and 6 being articulated one to the other by means of a film hinge 7 molded. The assembly plane of the two half-cages 5 and 6, folded over one another, is substantially coincident with the horizontal longitudinal plane of symmetry of the cage 2.

Each half-cage 5, 6 has the overall shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, the four faces of which (respectively 5 a , 5 b and 6 a , 6 b for the longitudinal faces; and respectively 5 c , 5 d and 6 c , 6 d for the transverse faces) of the side wall are slightly convergent towards the bottom respectively 5 e , 6 e .

The film hinge 7 is arranged so as to connect the upper edges of the side faces 5 d and 6 d , being located substantially in the center of these edges.

The lower half-cage 5 carries, on its bottom 5 e , four relief wedges 8, making it possible to maintain the coloring and disinfecting stick 4 slightly above the level of water remaining inside the half-cage 5 forming a reservoir, between two flushing operations. These wedges 8 are formed by fins connected to the bottom 5 e and to the longitudinal walls 5 a , 5 b , two fins being connected to the wall 5 a , and the other two to the wall 5 b , these fins 8 being arranged on the side and on the other side of the transverse vertical plane of symmetry of the half-cage 5, while being parallel to this plane.

Opposite the film hinge 7, the half-cage 5 carries, at the edge of the wall 5 c , a latching bead 9 whose role is indicated below.

The side wall 5 a of the lower half-cage 5 carries a central appendage 10 which can be seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6. This appendix 10 forms a housing delimited by the above-mentioned wall 5 a and by a side wall external 10 a opposite and parallel to it, the walls 5 a and 10 a being connected laterally by walls 10 b and 10 c , and the housing being closed by a bottom 10 d lying in the extension of the wall 5 e .

The two side walls 10 b and 10 c are perpendicular to the wall 10 a . Furthermore, appendix 10 extends to the height of the upper edge of the half-cage 5.

Internally, the appendix 10 comprises a partition 11 parallel to the aforementioned side walls 10b and 10c , arranged substantially halfway between them and dividing the appendix 10 into two compartments, one (12) - on the left if the 'we look at Figure 4 - being hollow, and the other (13) - right if we look at this same figure - being full. The partition 11, however, only extends between the bottom 10 d and the vicinity of the upper edge of the appendix 10, thus providing, at the top of the latter, a free space 14 indicated in FIGS. 2 and 6.

In the full compartment 13, a channel 15 is formed, of vertical axis if one looks at the support 1 in its position of use, this channel 15 opening into the space 14 at one of its ends and in the bottom 10 d at the opposite end.

The internal volume of the lower half-cage 5 communicates with the compartment 12 through a passage orifice 16 formed in the vicinity of the bottom 5 e . The high point of the channel 15 is slightly lower than that of the low point of the stick 4.

On its lateral face 5b , the lower half-cage 5 carries an external median projection 17, in the vicinity of its upper edge, this projection 17 being in the form of a plate. Along its lateral border 18 which is on the side of the film hinge 7, the plate 17 is connected, by means of a film hinge 19 coming from molding, to the base branch 20 of the hook 3. This branch 20, of relatively large length, is extended by being folded once at right angles to constitute a shorter branch 21, which is folded back on itself to constitute the terminal branch 22, the two branches 21 and 22 overhanging the cage 3 in the position of use of the support 1. In this position, the branch 20 has tilted around the film hinge 19 to rest, by its edge, on the plate 17.

Furthermore, the upper edge of the half-cage 5 has a recess towards the outside, providing a peripheral bearing 23 (Figure 6) whose role is indicated below.

The upper half-cage 6, which has a perforated bottom 6 e , to allow the introduction of flushing water inside the cage 2, carries means which must cooperate with the lower half-cage 5 to ensure the closing of the latter, completing appendix 10 which delimits an angled siphon pipe, and ensuring the retention of the hook 3, in the position of use of the support 1.

Thus, the free edge of the upper half-cage 6 has an inward recess, providing a peripheral zone 24 for bearing against the bearing surface 23, in the folded position of the half-cage 6 on the half-cage 5. By elsewhere, the wall 6 c of the upper half-cage 6 comprises internally a hook 25 intended to come to cooperate with the latching bead 9, for locking the two half-cages 5 and 6 in the position of use.

The longitudinal side wall 6 a is folded square outward to form a plate 10 e , which constitutes, in the assembly position of the two half-cages 5 and 6, the cover of the appendix 10. The plate 10 e comprises, on its face intended to come into connection with appendix 10, a central bead 10 f , the role of which is to penetrate into the mouth of said appendage 10 in order to seal the closure.

Finally, on the side wall 6 b is arranged parallel to said side wall a tab with a relief 26, the free end of which includes a lug intended to block the base branch 20 of the hook 3, in the position of use of the support 1 , when said branch is placed between the plate 26 and the wall 6 b .

As we have seen, the support 1 which has just been described consists of a single piece which has just been molded, in the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this position, the two half-cages 5 and 6 are completely open and the hook 20, connected to the lower half-cage 5, comes to surround the upper half-cage 6, its terminal branch 22 being, at the outlet of the mold connected at a temporary attachment point 27, to the side wall 6 c of the upper half-cage 6. For molding, it is necessary to provide a drawer to constitute the orifice 16 for passage of the flushing water between the tank formed by the lower half-cage 5 and the siphon in appendix 10.

The constitution of the ready-to-use support 1 is extremely simple. After having introduced the stick 4 in the lower half-cage 5 so as to rest on the shims 8, and after having broken the link 27, the upper half-cage 6 is folded down until the members click into place complementary 9 and 25, constituting at the same time the complete appendix 10, then, the hook 3 is tilted around the film hinge 19 and the hook 3 is maintained by pushing the branch 20 until the 'lug of the tab 26 moves aside for the passage of this branch 20 then comes to block the latter in position.

When the flush is activated and the water level in the tank constituted by the lower half-cage 5 exceeds the level of the upper end of the partition 11, the water contained in the lower half-cage 5 flows through the orifice 16 and follows the bent pipe forming a siphon constituted by the interior space of the compartment 12, the zone 14 and finally the channel 15; the water then enters the channel 15 and is thus discharged outside. When the water level comes below the level of the upper edge of the orifice 16 the air penetrates inside the bent siphon pipe, which causes the flow to stop immediately. The residual water level inside the tank constituted by the lower half-cage 5 is located below the lower part of the stick 4 carried by the wedges 8.

It is understood that the embodiment described above is in no way limiting and may give rise to any desirable modification, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (11)

1 - Support formed, on the one hand, of a cage (2) intended to contain a product (4) used in particular as colorant for flushing water and as disinfectant and, on the other hand, a hook ( 3) allowing the suspension of the cage (2) on the rim of a toilet bowl, the cage (2) having a bottom and a side wall defining a reservoir for flushing water and an openwork upper part (6 e ) for the passage of the latter, an outlet orifice (16) being formed in the wall of the tank, said outlet orifice (16) communicating with a bent pipe forming a siphon located and opening out of the tank, the elbow of the pipe being arranged above said outlet (16), but below the upper edge of the tank, the end of the bent pipe, which does not communicate directly with the outlet (16) being located at a level lower than that of the elbow, the cage (2) consisting of 'a lower half-cage (5) comprising the flushing water tank and an upper half-cage (6) carrying said perforated part (6 e ), the half-cages (5 and 6) being articulated l' one to the other by at least one film hinge (7) and comprising complementary locking members (9; 25) ensuring the joining of the two half-cages to reconstitute the complete cage (2), the suspension hook (3) being carried by one of the half-cages and coming from molding with it, characterized by the fact that the half -cages (5 and 6) externally carry complementary members from molding with each of them and defining, in the reconstituted position of the complete cage (2), the angled siphon pipe. 2 - Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the member carried by the lower half-cage (5) to define the bent pipe forming a siphon is constituted by an appendage (10) open at its upper part and divided into two compartments, one (12) delimiting the first branch of the pipe bend angled siphon which is arranged downstream of the outlet orifice (16) of the tank carried by the lower half-cage (5), and the other (13) delimiting the second branch of the elbow of said angled siphon pipe which opens to the outside, and that the complementary member carried by the upper half-cage (6) is constituted by a cover (10 e ) intended to close said appendage (10) at its upper part and constitute with it the part connecting (14) between the two branches of the bent pipe forming a siphon. 3 - Support according to claim 2, characterized in that the appendage (10) is formed over the entire height of the lower half-cage (5) and that the cover (10 e ) of said appendage (10) is constituted by a return square to the outside formed at the edge of the upper half-cage (6). 4 - Support according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the appendix (10) is constituted by a housing delimited by a side wall which has a common part with that of the lower half-cage (5) and which is connected to a bottom (10 d ), said housing internally comprising a partition (11) extending substantially perpendicular to the associated wall of the lower half-cage (5) between the bottom (10 d ) and the vicinity of the upper opening of said appendage (10), this partition (11) dividing said housing into a hollow compartment (12) in communication with the outlet orifice (16) of the tank, and into a full compartment (13) traversed by one end to the other by a channel (15) constituting the second branch of the bent pipe forming a siphon, thus opening into the bottom (10 d ) of said housing. 5 - Support according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the half-cages (5 and 6) assemble along a plane substantially coincident with the horizontal longitudinal plane of symmetry of the cage. 6 - Support according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the half-cages (5 and 6) have a substantially parallelepiped shape. 7 - Support according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the bent siphon pipe is disposed laterally relative to the (or) hinge (s) of articulation (7) between the two half -cages (5 and 6). 8 - Support according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the suspension hook (3) is carried by the lower half-cage (5). 9 - Support according to one of claims 7 and 8 taken simultaneously, characterized in that the suspension hook (3) is arranged opposite the siphon pipe. 10 - Support according to one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that the hook (3) is articulated by its base to the lower half-cage (5), using a film hinge (19 ), in order to be able to be moved between a folded position along the half-cages (5 and 6) themselves in the deployed position, in which it is formed during molding, and a deployed position corresponding to the position of use. 11 - Support according to claim 10, characterized in that in the position of use, the hook (3) cooperates with retaining means (26) carried by the upper half-cage (6).

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