FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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The present invention relates generally to anti-splash urinal screens, and, more particularly, relates to a urinal screen having anti-splash bristles or protrusions, wherein some indicia is formed among the anti-splash bristles by varying the height and density of the bristles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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Urinal screens are commonly used to reduce, if not prevent "splash back" where droplets from a stream of urine are ejected out of the urinal, onto the floor and potentially on the user's clothing. It is clearly of interest to prevent splash to reduce janitorial efforts as well as to avoid soiled clothing. To prevent splash from a urine stream, a urinal screen can include two important features. First, there is a surface feature across the urinal screen that tends to capture fluid of a stream. This is often implemented as bristles or protrusions that extend from a front or top side of the screen, where the opposite side (back or bottom side) is intended to be against the surface of the urinal. The bristles break up a fluid stream that is incident on the bristles, and provide a block to droplets that might otherwise be ejected away from the screen. The positioning of bristles across the screen is typically a regular pattern, and the bristles can be of a uniform height or length from the main body of the screen. The second feature that can greatly reduce splash is sufficiently drainage through the screen. That is, openings through the screen body that allow fluid to pass through the screen. Thus, a fluid stream incident on a screen is broken up by the bristles, and the fluid is directed through openings through the main body of the screen to the urinal drain.
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In the manufacture of urinal screens, it is desirable to provide information in graphic form - indicia of some sort. For example, the manufacturer's name or logo, or a distributor's name and/or logo. The conventional way of providing such indicia on a urinal screen is to provide a small area of the body that lacks both the openings and the bristles, and print or mold the designed indicia on this region. Without the bristles and openings, the indicia can be easily perceived, visually. However, since this region lacks the bristles and openings provided on the rest of the urinal screen, it can present a splash risk. Typically, to minimize the effect of indicia region, this region is positioned at the side, away from the center of the screen, to minimize the chance of a urine stream being incident on the indicia region. However, the risk is not eliminated.
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Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 1 is a front side view of a urinal screen having indicia formed by varying bristle height and density, in accordance with some embodiments.
- FIG. 2 is a side cut section view of a urinal screen having indicia formed by varying bristle height and density, in accordance with some embodiments.
- FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a detail section of a urinal screen having indicia formed by varying bristle height and density, in accordance with some embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms.
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FIG. 1 is a front side view of a urinal screen 100 having indicia formed by varying bristle height and density, in accordance with some embodiments. The urinal screen 100 can be made of a polymeric material such as polyvinyl acetate (PVA), and includes a main body 102. The main body 102 defines a structure that includes openings 106 and protrusions or bristles 104 that extend outward from the main body 102. In general, the bristles 104 can be provided in a regular pattern on the front side of the main body 102. In some embodiments there can also be bristles on the rear side of the main body. In some embodiments, the bristles 104 can alternate in height where there are taller bristles interspersed with shorter bristles. This variation of bristle height - the distance each bristle extends outward from the main body 102 - has been found useful in breaking up fluid streams and preventing splash. The openings 106 allow fluids to pass through the main body into the urinal, if not into contact with the urinal surface, to the urinal drain. In some urinal screens there can be a flat area 108 that can lack both the openings 106 and bristles 104. This flat area 108 is where indicia is typically provided, either by printing 118 on the flat area 108, or by forming graphic designs or lettering through the flat area 108 (e.g. "cut out"). However, this flat area 108, lacking openings 106 and bristles 104 relative to the main body 102, represents an area that could produce splash back of a fluid stream. In some embodiments, however, there can be some openings 112 though the flat area 108, and even bristles 116, but the bristles should be configured to not interfere, visually, with any indicia provided in the flat area 108. In some embodiments the openings 114 in the flat area can be in the form of indicia, e.g. the openings form lettering or other graphics.
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To avoid the problems associated with the flat area 108, and still provide some ability to show indicia, the indicia can be formed using shorter, and more densely-spaced bristles 110 in the pattern of the indicia. In the section of the indicia formed by bristles 110, there are no openings through the main body 102. The width of these areas can be managed to cover, for example, no more than one row of openings 106 through the main body 102 in some embodiments. The shorter, more densely-spaced bristles 110 are visually distinct from the surrounding standard bristles 104, and they can follow the pattern of lettering, for example, to form a desired indicia, such as a logo or other indicia.
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FIG. 2 is a side cut section view 200 of a urinal screen having indicia formed by varying bristle height and density, in accordance with some embodiments. The main body 102 includes a pattern of openings 106 and bristles 104 positioned on the main body 102 around the openings 106. The main bristles 104 can occupy a main region 202 in which the pattern of openings 106 and bristles 104 repeats across the main region 202. Bristles or other features to support the main body 102 in a spaced relationship with the surface of the urinal basin and walls can also extend from the bottom or read side of the main body 102, as well (not shown here). In bristle region 202 the bristles 104 have a regular spacing around the openings, and they can alternate in height.
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To create the desired indicia, there is a second "indicia" region 204 where there are no openings through the main body portion 206 of this indicia region 204, and the bristles 110 are shorter than the bristles 104 in the surrounding region 202, and more densely spaced. In some embodiments, the bristles 110 in the indicia region 204 can be at least half the height, or less, of the bristles 104 of the main region 202. Further, the spacing between bristles 110 of the indicia region 204 can be half, or less, than the spacing between bristles in the main region 202. The bristles 110 in the indicia region still provide some measure of anti-splash functionality. To further facilitate anti-splash functionality, the width of the indicia region 204, at least in one direction, can be limited to the spacing of two openings 106. This will provide openings 106 on either side of an indicia region 204, which can thereby still provide lines and patterns for lettering and other graphic designs of indicia. For example, in the indicia shown in FIG. 1, there is a letter "E" and a letter "M", along with additional graphic elements, formed by bristles 110. The width of these bristle sections, in at least one direction, is not wider than the distance between two openings 106. This ensure sufficient drainage to the sides of the indicia regions 204 to prevent fluid build up that could otherwise be a source for splash out of the screen 100. In some embodiments, the spacing of the bristles 110 in the indicia region 204 can be such that fluid is retained by capillary action among the bristles 110 until enough is collected/present to cause flow out of the bristles 110 and through the openings 106 outside of the indicia region 204.
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FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a detail section of a urinal screen having indicia formed by varying bristle height and density, in accordance with some embodiments. The urinal screen again shows the main body 102 that includes a regular pattern of openings 106, which can be circular, square/rectangular, or shaped like any other polygon. Along the sides of the openings, and at the vertices of the openings 106 there can be bristles in a main region 204. The bristles can include tall bristles 104a and short bristles 104b. The tall bristles 104a can be placed at the vertices of the openings 106, if the openings 106 are polygons. The short bristles 104b can be placed along the sides of the openings 106, again, if the openings 106 are polygons. The pattern of tall 104a and short 104b bristles can be a regular pattern that repeats across the main body 102, outside of the indicia region 204. In the indicia region 204, there are no openings through the main body, and the bristles 110 are shorter than the short bristles 104b, and they are more densely positioned relative to each other than the tall 104a and short bristles 104b. The differences in height is enough that a casual observer would immediately notice the height difference, and likewise with the spacing among the bristles 110 in the indicia region relative to the spacing between bristles 104 in the main region 202. The indicia region 204 can be arranged to form letters and other easily visually identifiable graphical elements. In some embodiments the bristles 110 can also be thinner, having a smaller diameter, than the bristles 104 of the main region 202. The width 302 of the indicia region 204 can be less than the distance 304 across two adjacent openings 106 in one direction, to ensure there is adequate drainage on either side of an indicia region 204. The term "across" used here means from the end or side of a first opening that is further from an adjacent, second opening, to the end or side of the second opening that is furthest from the first opening.
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Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a urinal screen having indica formed by varying height of anti-splash bristles, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.
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Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. The figures of the drawings are not drawn to scale.
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Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms "a" or "an," as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term "plurality," as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term "another," as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms "including" and/or "having," as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term "coupled," as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The term "providing" is defined herein in its broadest sense, e.g., bringing/coming into physical existence, making available, and/or supplying to someone or something, in whole or in multiple parts at once or over a period of time.
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"In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, azimuth or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "front", "back", "head", "tail" and so on, are azimuth or positional relationships based on the drawings, which are only to facilitate description of the embodiments of the present invention and simplify the description, but not to indicate or imply that the devices or components must have a specific azimuth, or be constructed or operated in the specific azimuth, which thus cannot be understood as a limitation to the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, terms such as "first", "second", "third" and so on are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
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In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, terms such as "installed", "coupled", "connected" should be broadly interpreted, for example, it may be fixedly connected, or may be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it may be mechanically connected, or may be electrically connected; it may be directly connected, or may be indirectly connected via an intermediate medium. As used herein, the terms "about" or "approximately" apply to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above-mentioned terms in the embodiments of the present invention according to the specific circumstances.
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A urinal screen having both anti-splash features and indicia regions is disclosed that avoid the prior art problems associated with providing indicia on flat portions provided on the screen that presents a region that can cause splash since it lacks both bristles and openings. The disclosed inventions provides indicia regions that use shorter, and more densely spaced bristles which are thereby visually distinguished from the surrounding longer bristles of the main screen portions. It is important that the bristles in the indica region be shorter than the surrounding bristles, and making them longer in the indicia regions is not as visually distinctive. Furthermore, making the bristles longer in the indicia region would require more material, and make the screen more costly. By making the bristles in the indicia region short, it offsets the fact that they are also more densely spaced in terms of the amount of material required.