EP2175078A2

EP2175078A2 - Improved hygiene device for WC

Info

Publication number: EP2175078A2
Application number: EP09172179A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimo Rosati; Gianpaolo Baiguerra; Michele Ferri; Claudio Saviotti
Original assignee: Bolton Manitoba SpA
Current assignee: Bolton Manitoba SpA
Priority date: 2008-10-07
Filing date: 2009-10-05
Publication date: 2010-04-14
Also published as: EP2175078A3; ITMI20080325U1

Abstract

In an improved hygiene device for WCs, comprising a perforated distributing element (12), a hook (13) for being engaged with the edge of the WC, integral with the perforated distributing element (12), and a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state (20, 120) in the form of a solid block of material contained inside the perforated distributing element (12), the solid detergent and/or deodorant block of material (20, 120) is provided with a series of surface grooves (21, 121), alternating with curved surface portions (22, 122), said surface conformation being suitable for increasing the surface area of the solid detergent and/or deodorant means (20, 120).

Description

The present invention relates to an improved hygiene device for WCs.
The use of hygiene devices for WCs to be hung inside the hygiene appliance by means of an appropriate hook which is engaged with the perimetric edge of the same, is known.
The known hygiene devices are either of the type comprising a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state or of the type comprising a detergent and/or deodorant means for WCs in the liquid state.
In particular, the first type of hygiene device for WCs comprises a perforated distributing element, called "cage", equipped with a hook for engagement to the edge of the WC, and containing in its interior a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state, also called "soap".
The detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state is currently produced through an extrusion process, in the form of a substantially parallelepiped solid block with rounded edges and a reduced surface discontinuity.
With every flush of discharge water, the water which directly immerses the encaged distributing element dissolves and washes away a small quantity of the detergent and/or deodorant product from the solid block contained in the cage.
Furthermore, when it is not subjected to the action of the discharge water, the detergent and/or deodorant means in the form of a solid block, releases a quantity of perfume into the air.
An objective of the present invention is to provide an improved hygiene device for WCs which increases the quantity of detergent means dissolved in each water flushing.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an improved hygiene device for WCs which increases the quantity of perfume released into the air per time unit.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved hygiene device for WCs which requires fewer possible changes to the production process currently used.
These and other objectives according to the present invention are achieved by producing an improved hygiene device for WCs as specified in claim 1.
Further characteristics of an improved hygiene device for WCs are object of the dependent claims.
The characteristics and advantages of an improved hygiene device for WCs according to the present invention will appear more evident from the following illustrative and non-limiting description, referring to the enclosed schematic drawings in which:

figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state according to the present invention, equipped with a series of straight surface grooves;
figure 2 is a schematic transversal sectional view of the detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state of figure 1;
figures 3 to 5 show schematic transversal sections of other embodiments in a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state equipped with a series of straight surface grooves;
figures 6 and 7 are respectively a perspective view and a schematic transversal sectional view of a further embodiment of a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state equipped with a series of helicoidal surface grooves;
figure 8 schematically shows an improved detergent device, in which any of the detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state, according to the present invention, illustrated in the previous figures, is arranged inside a perforated distributing element.

With reference to the figures, these show an improved hygiene device for WCs, indicated as a whole with 10, comprising a perforated distributing element 12, called "cage", equipped with a hook 13 for engagement to the edge of the WC, and containing in its interior a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state 20, 120 in the form of a solid detergent block.
The solid detergent and/or perfuming means 20, 120 is produced by extrusion or co-extrusion from a relative drawing head, not shown, having an outlet profile complementary to the transversal section of the block, of which figures 2 to 7 show various examples according to the present invention. In particular, in the example of figures 6 and 7 the block 120 is helix wound at the end of the extrusion.
The different transversal sections, which also differ in the surface area, can significantly condition the properties in use of the hygiene device for WCs, object of the present invention, both in terms of increase in foaminess in correlated use with the detergent properties, and also in terms of an increased perfuming.
Figures 1 to 5 show a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state 20, equipped with a series of straight parallel surface grooves 21, alternating with curved surface portions 22, also called humps, which form the outer surface of the block 20 between two subsequent grooves 21.
Figures 1 to 5 show, for illustrative purposes, a transversal section inscribed within a rectangular perimeter, but according to the present invention, the transversal section could quite analogously be inscribed in a square perimeter.
In the examples illustrated, in which the transversal section is substantially rectangular, on each short side there is at least one groove 21 and at least two grooves 21 are present on at least one of the long sides.
Humps 22 are arranged between the straight surface grooves 21 substantially over the whole surface of the solid block 20. A hump 22 is generally situated between two successive straight grooves 21, with the exception of a flat portion 23 present on at least one long side. In the examples illustrated in figures 2 to 5, in which the flat surface 23 is present on only one short side, the transversal section of the solid block 20 is asymmetrical according to a central plane parallel to the long sides, but symmetrical with respect to a central plane parallel to the short sides.
The flat portion 23 allows removal by means of suckers during assembly, without requiring modifications with respect to the procedures currently applied for traditional products.
Figures 6 and 7 show a further detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state 120 equipped with a series of helicoidal surface grooves 121, alternating with curved portions 122, also called humps, which form the external surface of the block 120 between two successive grooves 121.
Figures 6 and 7 show, for illustrative purposes, a transversal section inscribed within a circular perimeter, but according to the present invention, the transversal section could quite analogously be inscribed in an elliptical perimeter.
The alternating distribution of grooves 21, 121 and humps 22, 122 are a compromise between the increase in the exchange surface, and the necessity of not creating notches which could weaken the solid block of detergent and/or perfuming material 20, 120, which, during use, must maintain a structural integrity and not be divided into parts with an increase in consumption.
For illustrative purposes, the solid detergent block 20, 120 according to the present invention represented in figures 1 to 7, with the same volume, is characterized by a surface area 20% greater with respect to the solid detergent block having a substantially rectangular section of the known type.
According to what is schematically shown in figure 8, any of the blocks of detergent and/or deodorant material in the solid state 20, 120, shown in figures 1 to 7 is arranged, according to the present invention, inside the perforated distributing element 12. In particular, the longitudinal development of the block 20, 120 is a little less than the width of the distributing element 12.
The blocks of detergent in solid form 20, 120, completely similar to those shown in figures 1-7, can be composed according to a further embodiment, not shown, of two or more materials differing in colour, fragrance, chemical composition or other physico-chemical characteristics.
The production process in this case envisages the co-extrusion of two or more starting materials so as to provide a final object of the coaxial, composite or helicoidal type.
The solid detergent blocks 20 provided with straight grooves 21, for example, could be obtained by coaxial co-extrusion with a nucleus having different characteristics with respect to the mantle, or an axial co-extrusion of various materials axially juxtaposed forming a solid composite detergent.
Furthermore, the blocks of solid material 120 provided with helicoidal grooves 120 could be obtained by helicoidal co-extrusion.
The improved hygiene device for WCs, object of the present invention, has the advantage of increasing the interface between the product and the air consequently causing an increase in the quantity of perfume released into the environment per time unit.
In addition, the interface between the product and flushing water is also advantageously increased, consequently causing an increase in the quantity of product dissolved with each water flushing and an increase in the foaminess with use.
Finally, the improved hygiene device for WCs thus conceived can obviously undergo numerous modifications and variants, all included in the scope of the invention; furthermore, all the details can be substituted by technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as also the dimensions, can vary according to technical requirements.

Claims

An improved hygiene device for WCs, comprising a perforated distributing element (12), a hook (13) for being engaged with the edge of the WC, integral with said perforated distributing element (12), and a detergent and/or deodorant means in the solid state (20, 120) in the form of a solid block of material, contained inside said perforated distributing element (12), characterized in that said solid detergent and/or deodorant block of material (20, 120) is provided with a series of surface grooves (21, 121), alternating with curved surface portions (22, 122), said surface conformation being suitable for increasing the surface area of the solid detergent and/or deodorant means (20, 120).
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said surface grooves are straight grooves (21) parallel to each other.
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said surface grooves are helicoidal grooves (121) parallel to each other.
The device according to claim 2, characterized in that said solid detergent and/or deodorant means (20) has a longitudinal development slightly less than the width of said perforated distributing element (12) and a transversal section inscribed within a quadrangular perimeter, i.e. rectangular or square.
The device according to claim 4, characterized in that for said substantially rectangular section, on each short side there is at least one groove (21) and on at least one of the long sides there are at least two grooves (21).
The device according to claim 5, characterized in that said solid detergent and/or deodorant means (20) comprises a flat portion (23) present on at least one long side for removal by means of suckers during assembly.
The device according to claim 3, characterized in that said solid detergent and/or deodorant means (120) has a longitudinal development slightly less than the width of said perforated distributing element (12) and a transversal section inscribed within a circular or elliptical perimeter.
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said detergent and/or deodorant means is a single piece.
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said detergent and/or deodorant means is a composite piece of two or more co-extruded materials differing in colour, fragrance, chemical composition or other physico-chemical characteristics.
The device according to claim 9, characterized in that said two or more different materials can be arranged with each other inside said detergent and/or deodorant means coaxially, helicoidally, or axially juxtaposed.