EP1893823A2

EP1893823A2 - Flushing water guiding arrangement for a toilet bowl

Info

Publication number: EP1893823A2
Application number: EP06723688A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frank Pessel; Arndt Scheidgen; Hans-Georg MÜHLHAUSEN; Ralph Butter-Jentsch
Original assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Current assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Priority date: 2005-06-23
Filing date: 2006-03-24
Publication date: 2008-03-05
Also published as: RU2008101433A; DE102005029609A1; US7971284B2; WO2006136215A3; US20090293187A1; WO2006136215A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a flushing water guiding arrangement (1) for a toilet bowl (5) or similar, comprising a housing which can be inserted into the edge (4) of the toilet bowl, an inlet (6), at least one outlet (7, 8, 10) and a dispensing device (11 ) which is used to dispense at least one liquid active substance as a supplement to the flushing water. The dispensing device (11) comprises at least one container (12) which is used to receive the active substance and at least one dispensing opening (13) which is arranged between the inlet (6) and the outlet (J, 8, 10). The flushing water guiding arrangement is characterised in that low pressure is set in the container (12) when the active substance is dispensed and that, essentially, only air reaches into the container (12) which is suctioned by the low pressure in the container (12).

Description

Rinse water supply for a toilet bowl

The invention relates to a flushing water guide for a toilet bowl, urinal basin or the like.

From DE 198 51 754 C2 a flushing water guide with a housing is known, which is made of plastic and can be installed in a pool edge of the toilet bowl. The rinse water guide serves to guide the rinse water in the toilet bowl, in order to apply this in the desired manner with the rinse water.

The rinsing water guide known from DE 198 51 754 C2 has an inlet and a plurality of outlets for the rinsing water. Furthermore, the flushing water guide comprises a dispensing device for dispensing at least one liquid active ingredient as an additive for the rinsing water. A container of the dispensing device absorbs the active substance and has an inlet opening and a plurality of dispensing openings. When flushing water now flows through the inlet into the flushing water duct during a flushing process, part of the flushing water passes through the inlet opening into the container, where it mixes with the active substance and exits the container again through the discharge openings. According to DE 198 51 754 C2, the metering of the active substance should take place by calibrating the inlet opening on the basis of the viscosity of the active ingredient.

Over time, the active ingredient dilutes more and more due to the mixing processes taking place in the container, as a result of which its product properties change. This complicates a controlled and metered delivery of the active ingredient. In addition, it is difficult to tell when the drug is consumed, since in the Containment is always a mixture of rinse water and active ingredient, wherein the proportions of the mixture are not known.

The invention is therefore the object of a Spülwasserführung for a toilet basin further develop such that a controlled and metered delivery of the drug is possible.

The object underlying the invention is achieved by a flushing water guide according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the flushing water guide according to the invention can be taken from the subclaims.

The flushing water guide according to the invention is characterized in that, when the active ingredient is dispensed in the container, a negative pressure is established and that essentially only air enters the container, which is sucked in by the negative pressure in the container. A mixing of rinse water and active ingredient in the container thus does not take place. This in turn means that the product properties of the active ingredient, in particular its viscosity, do not change over time and thus a controlled and metered release of the active ingredient is possible over a longer period of time.

By dispensing the drug, the volume decreases, which occupies the drug in the container. At a constant or approximately constant volume of the container, this leads to a negative pressure. The negative pressure counteracts the delivery of the active ingredient or influences the degree of delivery. If the negative pressure falls below a certain threshold and / or conditions occur that favor the entry of air into the container, air is sucked into the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the air is drawn in through the discharge opening and / or through at least one opening in the vicinity of the discharge opening, wherein means are provided which allow the rinsing water to enter the water Prevent container. Since the discharge opening between the inlet and outlet of the flushing water guide is located, so seen in the direction of the main flow behind the inlet and in front of the outlet, there is a risk that when entering the flushing water rinse the flushing water is applied to the discharge opening, which then at a corresponding negative pressure in the container is sucked in place of the desired air. However, this should be avoided as otherwise a dilution of the drug in the container threatens.

Preferably, the dispensing opening of the dispenser is located near the inlet. Such an arrangement should ensure that not only a partial flow of the rinse water is mixed with the active ingredient, but that as far as possible, the entire rinse water can be mixed with the active ingredient. Thus, it should be ruled out that not only a part of the toilet bowl, but as far as possible the entire toilet bowl is wetted with the active ingredient.

A preferred material for the housing is plastic. As a result, the shape of the housing is virtually unlimited by suitable methods (eg injection molding, blow molding) .The flow conditions in the flushing water guide can be adjusted as desired without the toilet bowls, which are usually made of ceramic, having to be adapted to the desired flow conditions.

In a preferred embodiment, the housing has a connecting piece for a rinsing water supply and two end openings opening tangentially into the edge of the basin. In installation position, the connection piece is located in a rear part of the toilet bowl. By the two tangentially opening into the edge of the basin end openings the rinse water is fed into a front part of the toilet bowl. At a bottom of the housing a plurality of openings may be provided. These openings at the bottom ensure that the rear part of the toilet bowl is also supplied with rinse water.

Preferably, in the installation position of the flushing water guide, the discharge opening of the dispenser is directed downwards. Thus, at the discharge opening due to gravity always located in the container drug. Air, which is sucked in by the vacuum present in the container, accumulates in this case in an upper region of the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the dispensing opening faces a plate-like element, whereby due to the product properties of the active ingredient, in particular the viscosity, and due to the negative pressure in the container substantially no release of the active ingredient takes place through the dispensing opening. This should apply to a so-called rest position, in which no rinse water flows through the inlet into the flushing water. Thus, an outlet opening with a flow cross section is formed between dispensing opening and plate-like element, which is dimensioned such that the active substance does not escape from the container without the action of rinsing water. If the area between dispensing opening and plate-like element flows around the rinse water, then the active ingredient present at the dispensing opening is watered down or rinsed away by the rinsing water, so that a release of the active ingredient takes place.

Preferably, a pipe section forming the discharge opening is connected to the plate-like element in a circumferential area facing the rinse water inlet. This leads to an outlet opening in the form of a ring segment, this annular gap facing away from the rinse water inlet and thus the main flow direction of the rinse water. The connection between pipe section and plate-like element prevents the rinse water from hitting the active substance in the dispensing opening unhindered. To one is to be prevented by not too much active ingredient through a flushing process is delivered. On the other hand, a flushing water into the container should be excluded.

The means for preventing rinse water from entering the container may include baffles, flow resistors, baffles, or the like. These baffles or baffles may preferably be attached to the plate-like element. They can be integrally formed on the element.

Preferably, in the installed position, the discharge opening and the plate-like element are arranged in an upper region of the housing. This reduces the risk that during a flushing operation, the discharge opening for a long time is under, water, whereby), rinse water can enter the container.

The rinse water guide may comprise a container for receiving an additional active ingredient in solid form. For example, a cage for a chlorine tablet may be provided, which is arranged between the inlet and outlet of the flushing water guide. The chlorine tablet is flushed with rinsing water during a rinsing process and releases its active ingredients.

Alternatively or additionally, a container for receiving a carrier for a fragrance may be provided, wherein the carrier for the fragrance preferably does not come into contact with the rinse water. Thus, the rinsing water supply not only provides a metered delivery of the liquid agent admixed with the rinse water, but also the delivery of a fragrance to the air in the room in which the toilet bowl is located. Preferably, the carrier may comprise a plurality of plastic beads in which the fragrance is incorporated. The fragrance may also be delivered via a gel or liquid.

The fragrance carrier may be separated from the environment by a semi-permeable membrane or partition. The partition wall prevents that the carrier comes into contact with the rinse water, but at the same time allows a passage of the released fragrance.

Preferably, the container for the liquid active ingredient is exchangeable. If the liquid agent is consumed, the empty container can be easily replaced by a full container. Furthermore, the container for receiving a solid active substance and / or the container for receiving a carrier for a fragrance may also be exchangeable.

Also, the container for the liquid agent may be refillable. Thus, an exchange of the container is not necessary, but the container can be refilled if necessary by an inlet opening for the active ingredient to be provided.

The container may comprise a plurality of containers for holding a plurality of separate liquid active ingredients. As a result, a plurality of active substance components can be introduced into the rinsing water, which are stored together and are not storage-stable.

The invention further proposes a toilet bowl with an oval-shaped or round bowl rim, wherein the bowl rim has a recess into which at least partially the container of the dispenser of the flushing water guide according to the invention can be inserted. In a preferred embodiment of the toilet bowl, the recess is designed such that the container is flush with the edge of the basin.

The flushing water duct may also have means which allow a controlled release or a controlled "dripping off" after the flushing operation has taken place, for example, the means may comprise a siphon which overflows after reaching a certain liquid state and releases the amount of liquid in the siphon Amount of liquid can be made visible this "dripping". Reference to an embodiment shown in the figures, the invention is explained in detail. Show it:

1 shows a housing of a flushing water guide.

2 a toilet bowl with inserted rinse water guide;

3 shows the rinse water guide in a perspective view;

4 shows a dispenser of the flushing water guide;

5 shows the dispenser of Figure 4 in section.

Fig. 6 is another toilet bowl, and

Fig. 7 is a Fig. 6 similar toilet bowl in an exploded view.

Fig. 1 shows a flushing water guide, which is designated by the reference numeral 1. It has a housing 2 made of plastic, which is provided with a connection piece 3 for a flushing water supply. As indicated in FIG. 2, the flushing water guide 1 can be inserted into a basin edge 4 of a toilet bowl 5. Because of this installation in the pool edge 4 of the toilet bowl 5, the housing has a curved basic shape.

Through the connecting piece 3, an inlet 6 is specified for rinse water, through which the toilet bowl 5 can be cleaned or rinsed. During a rinsing process, rinse water passing through the inlet 6 is essentially divided into two main streams, which flow through end openings 7, 8 and flow tangentially into the basin rim 4. Furthermore, the housing 2 has on a lower side 9 further outlet openings 10. Thus, the one entering the housing 2 occurs. tende rinse water through several openings to achieve a desired distribution of rinse water in the toilet bowl.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a dispensing device 11 or parts thereof, through which a liquid active substance can be added to the rinse water entering the rinse water guide 1 (not shown in FIG. 1). The dispensing device 11 has a container 12 which comprises two separate containers 12a, 12b (compare Figures 6 and 7, not shown in Figure 3). The containers 12a, 12b are in each case in communication with a dispensing opening 13a or 13b through which the active substance contained in the containers 12a, 12b can exit into the housing 2. For clarity, the part of the housing 2 is not shown, which would cover the dispenser 11 in the figures shown.

The discharge openings 13a, 13b are arranged in the vicinity of the inlet 6 or, viewed in the main flow direction of the rinsing water, between the inlet 6 and the outlet openings 7, 8, 10. This arrangement is intended to ensure that the active ingredient from the containers 12a, 12b mixes as much as possible with the entire rinse water, so that a mixture of rinsing water and active ingredient enters from each opening 7, 8, 10.

The dispensing device 11 has a plate-like element 14 which lies in the installed position in a horizontal plane and projects into the housing. This plate-like element 14 is also shown in Fig. 4. The containers 12a, 12b can be stuck to a respective nozzle or each on a pipe section 15. The arrow 16 in FIG. 4 shows from which direction the rinse water entering through the inlet 6 mainly strikes the dispenser 11.

In the following description of the plate-like member 14, the tube pieces 15 and the parts formed on the plate-like element 14, reference is also made to Fig. 5, which shows the dispenser 11 (without container 12a, 12b) in section. On a differentiation of the containers 12a, 12b and the components, which cooperate with a respective container, is omitted below. In a rest position, ie without the action of rinsing water, the discharge opening 13 is filled with the container 12 arranged above with active ingredient. Due to the viscosity and also the surface tension of the drug and due to the negative pressure prevailing in the container 12, the active ingredient does not flow through a lateral outlet opening 17, but forms a "meniscus" extending between a lower edge 17 of the tube piece 15 and a If flushing water now flows through the inlet 6 into the housing 2, it flows in the direction of the arrow 16 against a baffle wall 19. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the baffle wall is approximately U-shaped 5 and protects the lateral outlet opening 17 (see FIG. 5) against a direct impact of the rinsing water On the side 20 of the tube section 15 facing the inlet 6, a support 21 is formed on the tube section 15, on which the in FIG 4 and 5. The container 12, not shown, rests in the installation position. The baffle 19 and the support 21 form a sickle-like channel 22, through which the rinsing water flows in d In the region of the outlet opening 17 passes. The there formed 'meniscus of the drug is washed away or removed by the rinse water, so that a release of the drug takes place. As a result, active ingredient flows through the discharge opening 13 and, as far as there is no rinsing water in the region of the lateral outlet opening 16, forms a new meniscus.

Due to the release of the active substance and the associated increase in the negative pressure in the container 12, air is sucked into the container 12. The suction of the air takes place primarily in the phase in which the meniscus is washed away by the action of the rinsing water. The dispenser 11 is designed so that only air and no rinse water is sucked into the container through the discharge opening 13.

Finally, FIGS. 6 and 7 show further exemplary embodiments of a toilet bowl 5 with a basin edge 4, which has a recess 24 for receiving two containers 12a, 12b in a rear region 23. The containers 12a, 12b and the recess 24 are formed so that the container 12a, 12b flush with the pool edge 4 and form an aesthetically pleasing unit.

Of course, the containers 12a, 12b may be arranged outside the toilet bowl 5 within the scope of the invention. For example, the containers 12a, 12b may also be arranged in a cistern, wherein they are connected via lines with the pipe sections 15.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 rinse water guide

2 housings

3 connecting pieces

4 pool edge

5 toilet bowls

6 inlet

7 final opening

8 final opening

9 bottom

10 opening

11 dispenser

12 container (12a, 12b container)

13 discharge opening

14 plate-like element

15 nozzles / pipe section

16 arrow

17 outlet opening

18 lower edge

19 baffle

20 page

21 support

22 channel

23 rear area

24 recess

Claims

claims

A flushing water guide (1) for a toilet bowl (5) or the like, having a housing which is insertable into a basin edge (4) of the toilet bowl, an inlet (6), at least one outlet (7, 8, 10) and with a Dispensing device (11) for dispensing at least one liquid active substance as an additive for the rinsing water, wherein the dispensing device

(11) at least one container (12) for receiving the active substance and at least one discharge opening (13) which is arranged between the inlet (6) and outlet (7, 8, 10), characterized in that when dispensing the active ingredient in Container (12) sets a negative pressure and that substantially only air enters the container (12), which is sucked by the negative pressure in the container (12).

2. flushing water guide (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the air is sucked through the discharge opening and / or through at least one opening in the vicinity of the discharge opening, wherein means are provided which prevent entry of the rinsing water into the container.

3. flushing water guide (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the discharge opening is arranged in the vicinity of the inlet.

4. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 or 3, characterized in that the housing is made of plastic.

5. rinse water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the housing has a connection piece for a rinse water supply and two tangentially opening into the pool edge end openings.

6. rinse water guide (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that a plurality of openings are provided on an underside of the housing.

7. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that in the installed position, the discharge opening is directed downwards.

8. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the discharge opening facing a plate-like element (14), whereby due to the product properties of the active substance, in particular the viscosity and due to the negative pressure in the container substantially no Delivery of the active substance through the dispenser opening in a rest position, in which no rinse water flows through the inlet into the flushing water guide.

9. flushing water guide (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that a pipe outlet forming the discharge opening is connected to the plate-like element (14) in a peripheral region facing the flushing water inlet.

10. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the means which prevent ingress of flushing water into the container, baffles, flow resistances, baffles or the like, which preferably attached to the plate-like element (14) are.

11. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that in the installed position, the discharge opening and the plate-like element in an upper region of the housing (2) are arranged.

12. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a container for receiving an additional active ingredient is provided in solid form.

13. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a container is provided for receiving a carrier for a perfume, wherein the carrier for the perfume preferably does not come into contact with the rinse water

14. rinse water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the container (12) are interchangeable for the liquid active ingredient.

15. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the container (12) are refillable.

16. flushing water guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the container (12) comprises a plurality of containers (12a, 12b) for receiving a plurality of separate active ingredients.

17 toilet bowl (5) with an oval or round edge of the pool (4), characterized in that the pool edge (4) has a recess (24) for at least partially receiving a container (12) having a liquid agent as an additive for the rinse water contains.

18. Toilet bowl according to claim 17, characterized in that the recess completely accommodates the container, wherein the container inserted in the recess is flush with the edge of the basin.

19. Use of a container for receiving a liquid active ingredient for a flushing water guide according to one of claims 1 to 16.