ES2970432T3 - Disinfection device, particularly for sanitary appliances and the like, and corresponding filling method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for filling a disinfectant device (1), comprising the steps of: - preparing a container body (2) which is adapted to contain a gel-shaped disinfectant product (4), the container body (2) being affected by slots (5) which are adapted to allow a gradual release of the disinfectant product, the slots (5) having a maximum width such as to prevent the exit of the gel-shaped product during the loading of the gel-shaped product into the container body (2); - heating a gel-shaped product (4); - pouring the gel-shaped product (4) into the container body (2), so that the gel-shaped product initially comes into contact with a region of the container body (2) substantially without slots (5) or with slots (5) having a maximum width such as to prevent the exit of the gel-shaped product during the loading of the gel-shaped product into the container body (2); - allow the gel-like product (4) to expand inside the body of the container (2) and reach a final viscosity with cooling of at least 50 Pa*s. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Disinfection device, particularly for sanitary appliances and the like, and corresponding filling method

The present invention relates to a method of filling a disinfection device and to a disinfection device, particularly for sanitary appliances and the like. More specifically, the invention relates to a disinfection device that is adapted to release a disinfectant product after the passage of water in contact therewith or through it, and to a method of filling the device itself.

As is known, for the disinfection of sanitary devices, devices are used that comprise a form of cage within which a disinfectant product in the form of a tablet is placed.

The device is hooked to the sanitary appliance so that it remains in contact with the inner wall of the sanitary appliance, in particular in a position corresponding to a point through which water passes.

When the water is discharged, the water overflows or passes through the containment device of the tablet and the tablet releases the disinfectant product to disinfect the sanitary appliance.

Currently, disinfection devices comprise cage-type containers that are adapted to house a tablet-shaped product consisting of a gradual release disinfectant product. Such a tablet is normally made up of a solid material, housed in the cage, which dissolves with the passage of water upon contact with it.

Such pills, however, have several problems.

Firstly, the pills have an unpleasant appearance, being opaque, and their external appearance worsens as they are consumed.

Furthermore, the tablets are made using inert substances such as sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate, etc., to give them a solid texture. The purpose of such inert substances is not linked to the performance of the product; They are only needed so that the latter has a solid texture. However, against this, some inert substances used tend to leach out and thus leave unwanted stains on the inner surface of the sanitary appliance.

Likewise, given the solid and rich nature of the inorganic substances of the tablet, the latter is very dense, with the drawback that to have a tablet with sufficient volume it is necessary to use a relatively high quantity by weight of the product, with the consequent costs. elevated.

Likewise, the presence of inert substances and anionic surfactants is not a factor that favors the performance of the perfume during the use of the tablet, and the perfume is one of the most important characteristics to attract the consumer.

An alternative solution known in the prior art for disinfecting sanitary devices refers to the use of gels, that is, adhesive substances in semi-solid form, which are applied directly to the interior surface of the sanitary device. However, these solutions are not without drawbacks either. In particular, the application of gel directly on the wall of the sanitary appliance implies the need to come into contact with that wall, a situation that is often not desired by the user, regardless of the cleaning conditions of the sanitary appliance. Likewise, applying a dose of gel to the wall is a much more complex operation than hooking something to the sanitary appliance, since it involves exerting enough pressure so that the dose of gel adheres to the wall, and a certain degree of skill in the application. manipulation of the device to apply the gel, either in the form of a syringe (single-dose or multi-dose) or in the form of a blister.

Finally, liquid tablets are known whose content is, therefore, aqueous and free of inert substances. These capsules contain liquids that are often viscous, but, however, they have the disadvantage that they need to be handled as a liquid and, therefore, the container that contains them must be perfectly closed and, to obtain the desired disinfectant effect, it is It is necessary to use complex and expensive mechanisms that allow the gradual release of the liquid during use.

The dispensing devices and/or products contained therein are disclosed in documents FR 2258 320 A1, EP 0940 509 A2, GB 2416 785 A, EP 2620 489 A1, US 2010/235976 A1, EP 1978 080 A1, GB 2401 791 A, WO 2014/031159 A1, GB 11185 A, DE 10020090 A1, EP 2407 601 A2, US 6505 356 B1.

The product in gel form is very difficult to load into the container body, since, upon insertion into the container body, which is conveniently provided with slits for gradual release of the product, the gel tends to immediately leak out of the container body. container body, thus making it substantially impossible to load the container body with the product in gel form.

Document FR 2258320 discloses a disinfection device having a container body with slits and housing a water-soluble bag adapted to contain the disinfectant product.

EP 0940509 discloses a disinfection device having a container body with slits adapted to contain a gel product that is to be cooled.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a disinfection device and a method for filling a disinfection device with a product in gel form, which overcomes the problems mentioned above with respect to the prior art.

Within this objective, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling a disinfection device for sanitary appliances, in which the device has all the advantages of gel but without the need for the user to come into direct contact with the interior wall of a sanitary appliance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling a disinfection device for sanitary appliances that is highly reliable, that is easily and practically implemented and that is low in cost. This objective and these and other objects that will become more evident hereinafter are achieved by the disinfection device as described in claim 2 and by a method of filling a disinfection device as defined in claim 1

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more evident from the description of preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the disinfectant device according to the present invention, which are illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, where:

Figures 1 to 11 disclose embodiments of a dispensing device that do not fall within the scope of the claims.

Figures 12-14 disclose a dispensing device according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, the disinfection device generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a container body 2 which is adapted to define a cage shape for a disinfectant product, and a supporting rod 3, which is connected to the container body 2 and is adapted to hook onto the edge of a sanitary appliance. The general term "disinfection device" is used to indicate a device that disinfects and/or perfumes and/or cleans.

The support rod 3 can be provided at an angle with respect to the front surface of the container body 2, as shown in Figures 1-3, or can be aligned with the front surface of the container body 2.

The container body 2 is adapted to contain a disinfectant product in gel form 4.

The container body 2 is provided with a plurality of slits 5 that are adapted to allow the release of the disinfectant product 4 in gel form, the slits being advantageously arranged on the lower surface of the container body 2, that is, the surface that It is adapted to be directed towards the wall of the sanitary appliance to which the disinfection device is applied.

Advantageously, the slits are adapted to allow direct access to a stream of water in the toilet bowl.

Conveniently, the slits 5 are arranged to leave a central region 6 of the container body filled, with the slits 5 extending laterally thereto.

This particular configuration of the slits 5 allows the container body 2 to be filled without the gel product 4 immediately leaking through the slits 5, as will be described in detail later. Advantageously, it is possible to have, on the lower surface of the container body 2, slits 5 which may also be continuous on the lower part of the container body 2, provided that they are provided in a certain dimension, as will be described in detail later.

A further variation of the slits 5 provided at the bottom of the container body 2 implies that the slits widen as they extend upward with respect to the pouring direction of the gel product, i.e., in the edge regions. of the container body: in this case, the slits are widened in a region 7, arranged, for example, perpendicular to the extension of the slits.

The size of the slits is extremely important to ensure that when pouring the product in gel form, which is to be loaded into the container body 2, the product does not come out of the slits themselves.

To avoid said drawback and therefore make it possible to provide a disinfection device with a gel-shaped product loaded therein, the slits 5 can have various shapes and dimensions, with a size limit of 2 mm wide.

Ultimately, the aforementioned size limit of 2 mm for the width of the slits 5 ensures that, when pouring the gel product 4 into the body 2 of the container, the product does not come out of the slits themselves.

For this purpose, the gel is conveniently heated and poured at a certain temperature so that it is both pourable and as viscous as possible.

The heating temperature at which the gel is heated must be such that, at the time of pouring, the gel has a minimum viscosity of 500 mPa*s.

In essence, what is required is to have a heating temperature of the gel such that the gel can have a viscosity that allows it not to leak through the slits 5 once it is loaded into the container body 2. The filling temperature Actual container body varies depending on gel composition. For example, aqueous gels containing ethoxylated alcohols may require pouring temperatures between 75° and 80°C; For other gels, temperatures below 60 °C may be sufficient. The important factor is that the gel is poured into the cage at a viscosity greater than 500 mPa*s or even more preferably even higher, between 800 and 1200 mPa*s.

The maximum width of 2 mm specified for the slits 5 makes it possible for the gel not to escape, as mentioned, after loading it into the container body 2, but, at the same time, it makes it possible to guarantee functionality, i.e. , the passage of water once the gel tablet is in use.

The method of pouring the gel into the container body 2 may also optionally involve, in addition to the heating of the gel indicated above, the invention of initially pouring the gel in a region where there are no slits or there are slits of very reduced thickness, to allow time the gel to constitute a certain mass so that it has greater difficulty in leaving the slits once the gel mass reaches the region where the slits are arranged.

In the embodiment in which the slits 5 are interrupted in a defined region on the lower surface of the container body 2, it is advisable to pour the gel exactly in a region that is substantially free of slits 5 and therefore allow the gel mass flows into the region of the slits once the gel has created such a mass as to prevent the gel product from leaking through the slits 5 themselves.

In the embodiment in which the slits 5 are widened into a widened portion of the slot 7, the slot portion 7 will have a maximum size that may even exceed the maximum of 2 mm indicated above, since the slot portion 7 is in a region of the container body 2 at its edges, a region that is reached by the gel mass loaded in the container body 2 when said mass is no longer able to flow through the slits, even if the slits 5 have a size greater than 2 mm.

The viscosity of the gel during filling should preferably be approximately 800-1200 mPa*s measured with a Haake VT550 MV2 viscometer at 5s-1.

This value is indicative, and not limiting, of the preferred viscosity of the gel.

What is extremely important is that, during the pouring stage, the gel must initially find a surface that is locally closed or provided with slots of sufficiently small dimensions to prevent the escape of gel, to subsequently progressively fill the containment device also in the slits 5.

In practice, it has been found that the disinfection device according to the present invention and the corresponding filling method achieve the intended objective and objects.

In fact, the device according to the invention allows it to be loaded with a tablet made with a product in gel form, the product in gel form being loaded into the container body of the disinfection device without, during loading, the product in gel form comes out through the slits releasing the product.

This is due to both a particular choice of the maximum width dimension of the slits and a particular choice of the method of loading the gel product, which implies that loading initially occurs in very thin slits or in a region substantially free of slits and then causing the gel mass to flow to the other regions of the container (cage) when the accumulated mass is significant and is no longer capable of leaking through the slits themselves.

The use of gel within a device of the type shown makes it possible to overcome the problems of the prior art with respect to the use of solid disinfectant tablets, and the problems associated with the use of liquid tablets that require a completely closed container, and also the problems associated with the use of gel applied directly to a wall of the sanitary appliance.

In fact, the characteristics of the gel make it possible to provide open or partially open containment devices, for example with numerous openings at the top and bottom of the cage (with respect to the flow of water), and to take advantage of the rheological characteristics of the gel that enable its stable permanence inside a perforated container, even under the effect of water currents. Likewise, the convenience of applying a cage-type device to the medical device remains unchanged, requiring no special dexterity or the need to come into contact with the interior wall of the medical device to directly apply a dose of gel.

The device and method, thus conceived, are susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

In addition, all details can be replaced by other, technically equivalent elements.

In particular, the person skilled in the art will easily understand that the shape of the container body, as well as the dimensions and shapes of the slits, can be many according to the filling method adopted and depending on the composition of the gel. For example, it is possible to have a container body shape with interior walls that are arranged in a labyrinth shape, so that the gel is poured into these walls and reaches a sufficiently solid state before reaching near the slits that are necessary for the passage of water.

Figure 12 shows a device according to the invention in which the container body 2, on the upper surface thereof, which is adapted to face the opening of the sanitary fitting, is provided with a plurality of walls 10 that are arranged in a maze-like configuration and are offset from each other. In this case, the container body is boat-shaped and the walls 10 are vertical vanes.

Figure 13 shows a device according to the invention similar to that of Figure 12, with the walls 10 provided with holes 11 or slits 12.

Figure 14 shows a device according to the invention similar to those of Figures 12 and 13, in which the slits 5 defined in the container body 2 have a different orientation.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent dimensions and shapes, can be according to the requirements and the state of the art.

When the technical characteristics mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, these reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and, consequently, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by said reference signs.

Claims (5)

1. A method for filling a disinfection device (1), comprising the steps of: - preparing a container body (2) to contain a disinfectant product in gel form (4), said container body (2) being provided with slits (5) that are adapted to allow a gradual release of said disinfectant product (4 ), said slits (5) having a maximum width of 2 mm, which is such that it prevents the exit of the product in gel form (4) during the pouring of said product in gel form into said container body (2); said container body (2) is provided, on an upper surface thereof that is adapted to direct, when installed, towards the opening of the sanitary appliance, with a plurality of walls (10) that are arranged offset from each other; - heating a gel product (4), the heating temperature at which the gel product is heated must be such that, at the time of pouring, the gel product has a minimum viscosity of 500 mPa* s; - pouring said gel-shaped product (4) into said container body (2), so that the gel-shaped product (4) initially comes into contact with a region of said container body (2) without gaps or with slits (5) having a maximum width that prevents the exit of the product in gel form (4) during the pouring of the product in gel form into the container body (2); - allowing the product in gel form (4) to expand within said container body (2) and reach a final viscosity with oil formation of at least 50 Pa*s. 2. A disinfection device (1) comprising a container body (2) containing a disinfectant product in gel form (4) having a viscosity of at least 50 Pa*s, said container body (2) being provided with slits (5) that are adapted to allow the gradual release of said disinfectant product (4), said slits having a maximum width of 2 mm which is such that it prevents the release of the product in gel form (4) during pouring. of the product in said container body (2), said container body (2) being provided, on an upper surface thereof that is adapted to be directed, when installed, towards the opening of the sanitary appliance, with a plurality of walls (10 ) that are arranged offset from each other. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that said slits (5) are defined in the lower surface of said container body (2). 4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that said slits (5) are defined in the lower surface of said container body (2), with a central region (6) of the lower surface of the container that is free of slits. 5. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the slits (5) widen at the edges of said container body (2).