EP1085831A1

EP1085831A1 - Dosing device for liquids in toilet bowls

Info

Publication number: EP1085831A1
Application number: EP99924634A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ulrich Loertscher; Toni Pfluger
Original assignee: Kuyus-Stiftung
Current assignee: Kuyus-Stiftung
Priority date: 1998-06-11
Filing date: 1999-06-11
Publication date: 2001-03-28
Also published as: WO1999063877A1; AU4128099A

Abstract

The invention relates to a dosing device attached to the lid (17) of a toilet. The tilting motion of the toilet lid (17) as it is lowered causes the dosing device to discharge an identical amount of cleaner and/or disinfectant and a fragrance forwards into the toilet bowl each time. The liquid (8) is located in a container (4). A small trough, formed by a deflector part (14) and side walls (15), is situated inside this container (4) and is filled when the toilet lid (17) is lifted. The dosed quantity (9) flows out of the trough and into a pipe (5), through an intake opening (7). When the toilet lid (17) is replaced, the dosed quantity (9) flows through the twisted pipe (5), through the discharge opening (6) and into the transversal distributor channel (10), before dripping into the toilet bowl in a distributed manner through several holes (11). This arrangement releases the products with a time delay of 10-25 seconds, hereby preventing them from being flushed away too soon.

Description

DOSING DEVICE FOR LIQUIDS IN WC-BOWLS

The invention relates to a device for uniformly metering a liquid into a toilet bowl. The device is attached to a toilet bowl lid and, after the lid has been closed, releases an equal amount of a cleaning and / or disinfectant with a time delay and distributes it over a larger area into the toilet bowl.

Devices from the prior art, which dose triggered by the tilting movement of a lid, dispense a liquid only at certain points, that is to say not distributed over an area. This has the disadvantage that cleaning agents and / or disinfectants, including the fragrances usually also contained therein, cannot develop properly because of the small area distribution. In addition, if it is a toilet bowl, they are washed away immediately if the bowl is rinsed with water after the lid has been closed.

In the prior art, time delays in liquid delivery are achieved in part by installing long, slightly inclined emptying pipes. For a functioning, this means that the closed position is always the same

Lid, whereby even slight deviations from a horizontal position can rob such dosing systems of their function. Such devices are therefore not suitable for retrofitting to existing toilet lids, since these - depending on the type - are inclined downwards and even upwards to different extents, for example if the lid is designed as a seat recess. In addition, a time delay of only 2-3 seconds is achieved with such conventional systems. In the devices mentioned, the metered amount is not always the same, but depends in part on the amount of content in the container. The aim of the invention is therefore to remedy the disadvantages mentioned above and to achieve a time-delayed dispensing of a liquid, which is distributed over two or more metering points, using an inexpensive device, preferably made of plastic, without mechanics. It is also a goal to form a sliding film on the sloping inside of the toilet bowl, which can be in most models in the front, but in some models also in the rear area of the toilet bowl, which reduces sticking of the chair and thereby reduces the use of the toilet brush.

According to the invention, this is achieved by a specially designed liquid container, which is either mounted on the toilet lid or integrated into it, or is designed in the form of a toilet lid which, due to the closing process of the toilet lid, always has an equal amount of a corresponding liquid distributed on the sloping inside of the toilet bowl. This creates a sliding film that remains in place until the next rinse cycle. The dosing process essentially takes place through the guided forced movement of around 90 ° when the toilet lid is closed. One or more wound tubes in the closed container, each with a receiving opening at the lower end on the side facing the lid, are always filled with the metered quantity only to just above the edge of this opening, thanks to the negative pressure created in the container after opening the lid, regardless of the level of the container.

If the toilet lid is tilted from the vertical to the horizontal position, i.e. closed, the metered amount runs through the pipe and is discharged through a discharge opening facing away from the lid into distribution channels, which in turn distribute the liquid drop by drop into the toilet bowl through smaller holes . The drops run down towards the water-covered drain of the toilet bowl. This is how the sliding film is formed.

Since the opening on each winding tube for the dosing amount in the closed state of the lid above Liquid level of the container, no further liquid flows out of the container contents. The flow of the liquid through the pipe coils, the subsequent parts into the cross channels and the dripping causes the desired time delay, which prevents the active ingredients from being washed away prematurely if the toilet lid is closed first and the toilet is only rinsed afterwards.

With this construction, all the objectives of the invention are achieved. The dosing device has the following advantages:

- Due to the time delay of 10-25 seconds, the dosed liquid is not washed away immediately, it remains in the bowl until the next time you use the toilet. - Due to the area distribution, the effectiveness of the

Odor removal and perfuming significantly better than with other systems.

- Thanks to the sliding film, the chair sticks to the bowl less often or not at all, which improves hygiene and the toilet brush is used less.

- The dosing quantity is always the same, regardless of the fill level of the container.

- A closable refill opening, for example a screw cap, can be conveniently refilled from a storage bottle without having to remove the container from the toilet lid.

- Any suitable toilet lid can be retrofitted with a suitable, possibly detachable, fastening device. - The dosing device works without mechanics and can therefore be inexpensive, preferably made of plastic.

- The dosing device is not visible when the toilet lid is closed; it also does not hinder the manual cleaning of the toilet bowl, unlike many other systems, which are either hung in the toilet bowl or fastened inside the toilet bowl. - The dosing device is not contaminated by using the toilet.

The area of application is primarily in private households, but also in public toilets and in the hospitality industry.

The subject matter of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings below.

FIG. 1 shows a partial sectional view of a toilet 1 with the toilet lid 17 open and the metering device 4-20 attached to it.

Figure 2 shows a partial sectional view of a toilet 1 with the toilet lid 17 closed shortly after use.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view through the standing metering device.

FIG. 4 shows the sectional view of one half of the metering device through line A-A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a partial sectional view of a downwardly inclined toilet lid 17A in the closed state with the metering device 4-20 attached to it.

FIG. 6 shows a partial sectional view of an upwardly inclined toilet lid 17B with a recessed seat in the closed state, with the metering device 4-20 attached to it.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of the distribution of the metered liquid within the toilet bowl 2 with the formation of the sliding film 3.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic representation of the distribution of the metered liquid within the toilet bowl 2 with formation of the sliding film 3 when using a metering device 4-20 with two distribution channels 10.

After closing the lid 17, the metering device 4-20 dispenses a metered amount 6 dropwise via the distribution channel 10 into the toilet bowl. Thanks to the distribution in the width and the slope of the toilet bowl 2, a surface wetted by the liquid is formed, the sliding film 3. The formation of the sliding film 3 and its physico-chemical properties naturally also depend on the type of used liquid. An oil-containing, aqueous mixture is preferred which contains substances with cleaning, disinfection and / or strong perfuming effects. The oil content is preferably less than 10% by weight and can be in the range from 2 to 6% by weight for most applications. The resulting sliding film has a good adhesion-reducing effect and effectively reduces the sticking of the chair to the inside of the toilet bowl.

In the container 4, the liquid 8 and part of it is also in a small trough, formed from a deflector 14 and side walls 15. This small trough, which forms a separate interior within the container 4 and in which the tube 5 is fastened at one end (Fig. 3, Fig. 4), is filled in that when the toilet lid 17 is opened, i.e. from the horizontal position into the vertical position shown, part of the liquid 8 flows into this tub and remains there while the rest again, following gravity, flows back into the lower region of the container 4. Part of the liquid collected in the trough of the deflecting part then flows through the receiving opening 7 into the tortuous tube 5 until the receiving opening 7 is closed by the surrounding liquid.

Because of the vacuum in the container 4 which subsequently arises, the liquid 8 in the tube 5 cannot rise much higher than up to the upper edge of the receiving opening 7. The amount of liquid which has thus reached the tube 5 is always of the same size and essentially corresponds to that of - Subsequent dispensing quantity 9. The distribution channel 10 is connected to the upper end of the tube 5 and has any number of holes 11, but preferably four. The perforators are preferably arranged symmetrically and have increasing diameters from the center to the edges of the distribution channel in order to allow as uniform a dosage from all perforators as possible (FIG.). In order to achieve an even broader distribution of the liquid discharge into the toilet bowl, two or more pipes 5 with associated distribution pipes are preferably channels 10 are arranged within the metering device 4-20, the distribution channels being able to be arranged both in a row and at angles to one another (FIG. 7, FIG. 8).

An alternative embodiment with a plurality of tubes 5, but without a distribution channel 10, has not proven itself in practice, since the consumption of metering liquid is considerably higher in this embodiment than in the variant according to the invention with a distribution channel 10.

The metering device 4-20 according to the present invention can be designed in different sizes, and the metering quantity 9 can also be set as desired by constructional measures, for example by varying the cross sections of the tube (s) 5 and / or the holes 11. For most applications, however, a metering device is favorable, the dimensions of which are such that the container 4 can be filled with 100 to 250 ml, preferably with about 150 ml of metering liquid and about 0.5 to 1 ml of liquid into the toilet per metering process. Dispenses bowl 2. This enables approximately 100 to 500, preferably approximately 200 to 250, dosing processes per container filling. The length of the distribution channel or channels 10 can also be matched to the respective toilet bowl models. In practice, however, it has been shown that a metering device with one or more distribution channels 10, the most widely spaced holes 11 of which span a total distance of 10 to 20 cm, in particular 12 to 15 cm, is suitable for most toilet models and one sufficiently wide sliding film 3 generated.

If the toilet lid is closed, that is, if the metering device is brought into a horizontal position, the metered quantity 9 flows through the winding pipe 5, through the dispensing opening 6 to the left and right into the distribution channel 10 and drips through the holes 11 in the Toilet bowl 2. Since the receiving opening 7 is above the level of the liquid 8, no further liquid 8 can be removed from the container 4. flow. The winding course of the metering quantity 9 and the slow dripping effect the function of the time delay. This prevents the sliding film 3 from being washed away in the event that the toilet lid is closed before the toilet bowl 2 is rinsed with water.

Since the holes 11 are small and can therefore be completely filled by the liquid 8, an air opening 12 is preferably arranged for the necessary backflow of air. It is located in the area of the discharge opening 6 of the tube 5 at an elevated point, which is normally not reached by the metering liquid 8 on its way through the tube 5 and is therefore not clogged (FIG. 3), so that during the draining Liquid (8) from the holes (11) of the distribution channel (10) air can flow back into the container (4) unhindered.

Under the distribution channel 10 there is also preferably a collecting channel 13 which catches any oily liquid 8 which flows back or creeps back when the toilet lid is opened (FIG. 3). As can also be seen from FIG. 3, this collecting channel 13 is constructed in such a way that when the toilet lid is closed again, the liquid collected in the collecting channel 13 flows back or creeps back in the direction of the distribution channel 10 and then again on the outside thereof Drip-in toilet bowl.

The metering device 4-20 is attached to any existing toilet lid 17, 17A, 17B, for example, by means of hooks 18, which are attached to an adapter 19, and self-adhesive strips 20. This mounting device is not described further, it can be arbitrary and possibly also be removable again. Of course, the metering device can also be permanently integrated in the toilet lid or can be designed in the form of a toilet lid.

In Figure 4, the winding pipe 5, the distribution channel 10 and the holes 11 can be clearly seen. An even wider one According to this exemplary embodiment, the metering device is equipped with two of these arrangements, of which, however, only a half is shown in the sectional view in FIG. The second half would be next to it, mirrored around the C axis.

The function of the small tub, formed by a deflector 14 and side walls 15, allows all common types of toilet lid to be equipped with one and the same metering device, despite very different angles of inclination of the closed toilet lid 17, 17A, 17B. Thanks to this trough, it is possible to arrange the tube 5 with a strong inclination angle of preferably 5-15 degrees, based on the horizontal, with the metering device in a horizontal position, so that even with the toilet lids 17B inclined slightly upward, the tube 5 with the toilet lid closed. Cover still has a slope towards the toilet bowl and the dosage 9 can flow automatically into the distribution channel 10 after closing the toilet lid and then drip into the toilet bowl 2. If in special cases an inclination of the tube 5 by more than 15 degrees is required, the container 4 would be made correspondingly wider in order to create the required space for the inclination of the tube.

In one embodiment variant, in which the device is firmly integrated in the toilet lid, that is to say the horizontal position is known, the tube 5 with the receiving opening 7 can also begin at the bottom of the container 4.

One possibility of refilling the container via a refill opening is shown using a filler neck 16 with a screw cap (FIG. 4).

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Dosing device (4-20) for dispensing liquids (8) in a toilet bowl (2), characterized in that in a container (4) there is at least one tortuous tube (5) which has one end via a dispensing opening ( 6) opens into a distribution channel (10) with at least two holes (11) and which has at its opposite, other end a receiving opening (7) for receiving a metered quantity (9), the tube (5) inside the container (4th ) is attached at an angle of inclination which is selected so that when the metering device is mounted on any toilet lid (17, 17A, 17B), the tube (5) always has a slope towards the toilet bowl 2 when the toilet lid is closed .

2. Dosing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle of inclination of the tube (5) is 5 to 15 degrees, based on the horizontal in the horizontal position of the dosing device.

3. Dosing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container (4) contains an inner trough, formed from a deflector (14) and side walls (15), and that end of the tube (5) with the receiving opening (7) inside this tub is arranged.

4. Dosing device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that that end of the tube (5) with the receiving opening (7) at or near the highest point of the container (4), arranged in relation to a dosing device located in the horizontal position is.

5. Dosing device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has two or more tubes (5).

6. Dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distribution channel (10) has four symmetrically arranged holes (11), the inner holes having a smaller diameter than the outer ones.

7. Dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the region of the discharge opening (6) of the tube (5) an air opening (12) is arranged at a point of the tube (5) which cannot be reached by the liquid (8).

8. Dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a collecting channel (13) is attached under the distribution channel (10).

9. Dosing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the container (4) has two or more internal troughs, formed from the deflecting parts (14) and side walls (15), and preferably each tube (5) with its the receiving opening (7) containing end is arranged individually in one of these tubs.

10. Dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a suitable fastening device, for example a hook (18), adapter (19) and / or self-adhesive strip (20), preferably removably on a toilet lid (17, 17A) , 17B) can be fastened.

11. Dosing device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it is firmly integrated in a toilet lid or is in the form of a toilet lid.

12. Dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a closable refill opening (16).