GB2347150A

GB2347150A - Dispensing device with two-stage closure arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2347150A
Application number: GB9904546A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Guy Thompson
Original assignee: SC Johnson and Son Inc
Current assignee: SC Johnson and Son Inc
Priority date: 1999-02-26
Filing date: 1999-02-26
Publication date: 2000-08-30
Also published as: AU3503600A; GB9904546D0; WO2000050699A1

Abstract

A device for dispensing a product into the bowl of a toilet comprises a body (1) composed of first (9) and second (11) body parts connected by a hinge (13). The two body parts are held in a closed position to accommodate a toilet block (D) by a two-stage closure arrangement. The closure arrangement comprises a first stage formed by a hook (15) on the first body part which is engaged by a catch (33) on the second body part. The first stage is held in a closed position by a second stage provided by a pivotal panel (23) in a front wall of the second body part. Panel (23) has a rib (29) which engages beneath an outer end portion of the hook except when the panel (23) is pivoted to a release position out of the plane of the front wall of the second body part. Such pivoting is made impossible by the presence of a whole block (d) within the device.

Description

DISPENSING DEVICE The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a product into the bowl of a water closet (toilet) and which is provided with a child resistant closure. In particular, the invention relates to a device adapted to be hooked under the rim of a toilet bowl to interrupt the flow of water as the toilet is flushed and to dispense the product directly into the toilet bowl.

The product placed in such a dispensing device is in the form of a block of solid material, and is sometimes known as a rim block, and the dispensing device is sometimes described as a rim block cage, or toilet rim cage. The product may consist only of fragrancing materials, but recently rim blocks containing bleaching agents have been put on the market, and the desirability of ensuring that any refillable dispensers are child resistant has increased.

One company markets a bleaching rim block in a dispensing device with a catch released by pressing the end of the suspension hook into the hook into the cage. Other refillable dispensing devices on the market are not reliably child resistant.

Toilet blocks are relatively low cost products. They are used in dispensing devices which are attached to the rim of toilet bowls or are placed in a cistern. The dispensing devices for reasons of cost, are often produced as a single plastics moulding which includes a suspension device and two body parts joined by a moulded hinge. Once the toilet block has been placed in the dispensing device by the manufacturer, no one will wish to obtain access to the toilet block within the cage. Any need to open the dispensing device will only arise in the case of refillable devices when a replacement block is to be inserted when the original block has been used.

In our U. K. Patent Applications 9625323.2 and 9625330.7, we disclose two different constructions of toilet block dispensing devices of the above described construction, and which are child resistant, to the extent that the dispensing device is provided with three separate catches for holding the body parts in a closed relationship, and which have to be manipulated simultaneously at three spaced locations to enable the body parts to be opened to enable a replacement block to be inserted.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved dispensing device for a toilet rim block, which has an improved child resistant closure arrangement.

According to the present invention, we provide a dispensing device suitable for attachment to the rim of a toilet bowl comprises a body adapted to receive a block of product to be dispensed into the toilet bowl and a suspension device attached to the body for suspending the body from the rim of the toilet bowl, said body comprising first and second body parts relatively rotatable about a hinge and a two-stage closure arrangement for holding the said body parts in a closed position, said suspension device being attached to said first body part, and wherein the two stage closure arrangement comprises a hook on one of the body parts, and a catch on the other body part and engageable with the hook when the body parts are in a closed position and, means moveable between a locking position and a release position, the arrangement being such that the hook and latch can be disengaged from one another only when said moveable means is in a release position.

Preferably, the catch comprises an engaging member which is provided on one body part and is sufficiently resilient to ride over a cam surface associated with the hook on the other body part as the body is caused to close, the hook then retaining the engaging member and so holding the body closed until the catch is released from the hook.

Catches used in child resistant containers may be classified as direct or indirect catches.

Direct catches are catches which are opened by manipulating one of the engaging members directly. Indirect catches are catches which are opened by manipulating the body rather than one of the engaging members itself. It is preferred to use catches which are released by compressive forces applied towards the interior of the body, rather than tensile forces applied in directions away from the interior of the body. In other words it preferred to open the body by pressing rather than pulling.

In the present invention it is preferred to use a direct catch.

Preferably, the moveable means comprises a panel in a wall of one body part which can rock between the locking position and the release position.

In the preferred construction, the two body parts are hinged together so that the hinge is at the lower side of the body (the side carrying the suspension device being considered as the top) opposite the hook, so that the second body part is opened by rotating it downwards relative to the first body part opposite the hinge. It is also preferred that the catch is formed in the second body part, in a side of the body opposite the hinge, and the catch is releasable by applying pressure directly on the hook in a direction substantially towards the hinge.

The catch may be in the form of a lug projecting forwardly from the edge of one body part towards the other body part (when the body is closed) and which carries a projecting part which engages with a locking member on the other body part, or in the form of a projecting part on an inner face of the body part. The locking member may be an aperture extending through the body part or a recess within the body part.

Preferably however, the catch is provided by an edge of an aperture, in the second body part which engages the hook, which is formed by a recess in the outer face of a projecting lug on the first body part. The catch is released by applying pressure on the tip of the lug which carries the recess.

By providing an aperture and the tip of the lug accessible through the aperture it is possible to provide a catch which can be released by direct pressure on the tip of the lug without the need to deform the body. The direct catch is used opposite the hinge and the use of this type of catch avoids the need to provide a high degree of flexibility in the hinge region which might adversely affect the strength of the dispenser. Because the hinge is on the opposite side of the body from the hook, the use of a direct catch enables a relatively rigid upper side of the body to be provided so giving a stronger look.

Preferably, the panel is located in a front wall of the second body part, which front wall has a plurality of slots therein through which toilet flushing water may flow.

Preferably, the panel is hingedly connected to the front wall by strips of body material defining said slots, whereby the panel interrupts some of the slots.

Preferably, also, the panel incorporates a dished projection thereon towards the lower end thereof which defines a push button, the opposite end of the panel extending into said aperture, which extends from an upper wall of said second body part into the front wall thereof.

Preferably, the lug on the first body part extends sufficiently from a front edge of the first body part that its free end is in line with an outer face of the front wall of the second body part, such that when the body parts are closed, the opposite end of the panel provides a rib which locates beneath the underside of the lug, thus preventing it from being depressed. Only when the push button is depressed to cause pivoting of the panel about a central region thereof where it is connected to the front wall by said strips, can the rib be moved forwardly from beneath the lug, thus permitting the tip of the lug to be depressed to allow the catch to be released from the hook.

It may be desirable to provide one or both body parts with guide members projecting from the body part to bear against the inner surface of the other body part to guide the body parts together. The guide members may also help to apply pressure to the body parts which they bear against in the closed position so as to help to hold the catch in engagement with the hook.

In the manufacture of filled dispensing devices, it is necessary to place toilet blocks in opened dispensing devices and then to close the dispensing device by folding the two body parts together, often using automatic equipment. If the toilet block substantially completely fills the void within the dispensing device, then its presence will form a second level of protection, since once located within the dispensing device, it is extremely difficult to open the dispensing device, because the inside face of the deformable panel will bear against a front face of the toilet block, thus preventing the deformable panel from being deformed, and thus preventing the rib at the top end thereof from being moved out of engagement with the underside of the projecting lug on the first body part. This means that not only is the dispensing device provided with a child resistant closure, but once filled, it is almost impossible for a child to gain entry into the device, until the block has worn down, due to constant flushing of a toilet.

Only when the block has worn down by a sufficient amount to allow the deformable panel to be deformed, can the catch be disengaged from the hook. This second level of protection has the further advantage that it ensures that the deformable panel, due to constant use, does not become permanently deformed, due to the flexible nature of the polymer from which the dispensing device is preferably formed, because the presence of the block will ensure that the deformable panel is moved back into the plane of the front wall of the second body part and thus, into locking engagement beneath the underside of the front edge of the lug.

A dispensing device according to the present invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the device in a closed position; FIGURE 2 is a vertical section extending centrally through the device of Figure 1 and showing the device filled with a new block; and FIGURES 3 to 5 are views similar to Figure 2, but showing the device without a block therein and showing three different stages in the opening of the device.

Referring to the drawings, the dispensing device comprises a body 1 for receiving a block of material B, and a suspension device 3 extending from and upper part of the device and by means of which the device may be attached to the rim of a toilet bowl, or be located within a cistern. The body 1 is provided with horizontal and vertical slots 5 and 7, through which water may enter and/or leave the body 1, e. g. when the toilet bowl is flushed. Water entering the dispensing device dissolves material from the block B within the body.

As can be seen from the drawings, the dispensing device is a single moulding made from a suitable thermoplastics material. The moulding comprises a first body part 9 from which the suspension device 3 projects and which is linked to a second body part 11 by one or more moulded hinge portions 13.

The first body part 9 has a rear wall 15 across the total width of which the slots 5 extend, these slots also extending partially into the end walls, as can be seen from Figure 1. The hinge portion (s) 13 interconnect (s) the bottom walls of the two body parts 9 and 11, whereas a two-stage closure arrangement is provided in the upper walls of the two body parts and in the front wall of the second body part 11.

As is particularly apparent from Figures 1 and 5, the upper wall of the first body part 9 has a forwardly projecting lug 15 at a central region thereof in an upper surface of which a recess 17 is provided, the front wall of the recess defining a hook 19. At its upper leading edge, the lug 15 is of generally arcuate construction to provide camming surface 21.

The front wall of the second body part 11 has a plurality of horizontal slots 5 therein, which do not extend fully across the total width of the body part, but which are interrupted by a central panel 23. In other words, the panel 23 is connected to the remainder of the front wall of the second body part 11 by strips of thermoplastics material 25. As well as the slots 5 in the front wall of the second body part 11, vertical slots 7 are formed therein, these slots 7 extending onwardly into an upper wall region of the second body part 11. The deformable panel 23 is provided in its lower region with a projecting portion 25 with a recessed front surface 27, which forms a push-button, and is provided in its upper end region with an up-standing part which defines a rib 29. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the upper extremity of the rib 29 terminates immediately beneath the underside of the front region of the projecting lug 15 on the first body part 9. The rib 29 projects into a generally rectangular aperture 31 formed in a central upper region of the front wall of the second body part 11 and extending into a front region of the upper wall of the second body part 11. The aperture 31 is substantially wider than the slots 7 and is sufficiently wide easily to accommodate the width of the projecting lug 15 on the first body part 9.

Figure 1 shows the dispensing device in its normal position of rest when the first and second body parts have been moved to a closed position such as illustrated in Figure 2.

As can be seen from Figure 2, when in this position, a catch provided by a front face of a strip of material 33 defining a rear edge of the aperture 31 engages within the recess 17 formed in the upper face of the projecting lug 15, thus providing the first stage of a two stage closure arrangement between the first and second body parts 9 and 11. This first stage of the closure arrangement is effectively a hook formed by the lug 15 which is engaged by a catch defined by the strip of material 33 and the aperture 31 in the respective body parts 9 and 11. As is clearly apparent from Figure 2, the catch or strip of material 33 forms a snug fit within the recess 17 in the rear region of the lug 15, whereas the front region of the lug 15, as is clearly apparent from Figure 1, extends into the aperture 31 so that the under face of its front most portion overlies the free end portion, or upper region of the rib 29. When the two body parts 9 and 11 are moved from their open position shown in Figure 5 to their closed position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the underside of the strip of material 33 of the upper wall of the second body part 11 will ride up over the upper camming surface 21 of the lug 15, thus causing the lug 15 slightly to deform downwardly, as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5, until it snaps back into the position shown in Figure 2, due to the resiliency of the thermoplastics material from which the cage or body is formed. When it has snapped back, the rib 29 will be located beneath the under face of the front most portion of the lug 15, so as to provide a second stage of the closure arrangement.

In order to open the body to replenish a used toilet block with a new block B, a twostage opening operation is required. Firstly, it is necessary for pressure to be applied to the panel 23 by pressing on the push-button 27 as represented by the arrow A in Figure 3. This will cause the panel 23 to pivot about its central region (i. e. the strips of material 25) thus taking up the position shown in Figure 3, wherein the rib 29 no longer lies beneath the lower part of the front edge of the lug 15. After this first stage of the opening operation has been completed, it is then possible to perform the second stage of the opening operation, by applying downward pressure on the cam surface 21, as represented by the arrow B, in Figure 4, thus causing the whole of the lug 15 to move downwardly to its Figure 4 position, thus disengaging the hook formed by the recess in the lug from the catch formed by the strip of material 33. This completes the second stage of the opening sequence whereupon the second body part 11 can be pivoted forwardly about the or each hinge portion 13 in the direction of the arrow C, as shown in Figure 5. Once the body 1 has been opened sufficiently, it is possible to place a replacement block B within the body, whereupon it can be moved back to is closed position, as shown in Figure 2 by pivoting the second body part 11 anti-clockwise, about the or each hinge portion 13. As can clearly be seen from Figure 2, once the body or cage is closed and the catch 33 has engaged correctly with the hook, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the rear face of the deformable panel 23 will bear against the front face of the block B, thus making it impossible to deform the panel 23, to move it from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3. Hence, this forms a second level of protection making it virtually impossible for the body or cage to be opened, once a new block of material B has been located therein.

In the enclosed drawings, the hook and catch arrangement is in the form of a direct catch which is opened by applying direct pressure onto the cam portion 21 of the lug 15.

It will be appreciated, however, that modified constructions of this latching arrangement could be provided. For example, instead of providing an aperture 31 in the second body part 1, a recess could be provided in an internal face of the upper wall region, which recess would receive the cam portion 21 of the lug 15. In this event, an indirect catch would be provided which, perhaps, could be opened by applying pressure to the end wall regions of the two body parts 1. Clearly, however, it would still be impossible to open the cage until the first stage of the opening sequence was performed, namely the application of pressure to the panel 23 to move its from its Figure 2 to its Figure 3 position. It is also envisaged that more than one two-stage closure arrangement could be provided.

It will, of course, be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A dispensing device suitable for attachment to the rim of a toilet bowl comprises a body adapted to receive a block of product to be dispensed into the toilet bowl and a suspension device attached to the body for suspending the body from the rim of the toilet bowl, said body comprising first and second body parts relatively rotatable about a hinge and a two-stage closure arrangement for holding the said body parts in a closed position, said suspension device being attached to said first body part, and wherein the two stage closure arrangement comprises a hook on one of the body parts, and a catch on the other body part and engageable with the hook when the body parts are in a closed position and means moveable between a locking position and a release position, the arrangement being such that the hook and latch can be disengaged from one another only when said moveable means is in a release position.
2. A dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein the catch comprises an engaging member which is provided on one body part and is sufficiently resilient to ride over a cam surface associated with the hook on the other body part as the body is caused to close, the hook then retaining the engaging member and so holding the body closed until the catch is released from the hook.
3. A dispensing device according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the moveable means comprises a panel in a wall of one body part which can rock between the locking position and the release position.
4. A dispensing device according to claim 3 wherein the panel is located in a front wall of the second body part, which front wall has a plurality of slots therein through which toilet flushing water may flow.
5. A dispensing device according to claim 4 wherein the panel is hingedly connected to the front wall by strips of body material defining said slots, whereby the panel interrupts some of the slots.
6. A dispensing device according to any one of claims 1-5 wherein the two body parts are hinged together so that the hinge is at a lower side of the body opposite the suspension device, so that the second body part is opened by rotating it downwards relative to the first body part opposite the hinge.
7. A dispensing device according to any one of claims 1-6 wherein the catch is formed in the second body part, in a side of the body opposite the hinge, and the catch is releasable by applying pressure directly on the hook in a direction substantially towards the hinge.
8. A dispensing device according to any one of claims 1-7 wherein the catch is provided by an edge of an aperture in the second body part which engages the hook, which is formed by a recess in the outer face of a projecting lug on the first body part.
9. A dispensing device according to claim 8 wherein the catch is released by applying pressure on the tip of the lug which carries the recess.
10. A dispensing device according to claim 8 or 9 when dependent on claim 3 wherein the panel incorporates a dished projection thereon towards the lower end thereof which defines a push button, the opposite end of the panel extending into said aperture, which extends from an upper wall of said second body part into the front wall thereof.
11. A dispensing device according to any one of claims 8,9 or 10 when dependent on claim 3 wherein the lug on the first body part extends sufficiently from a front edge of the first body part that its free end is in line with an outer face of the front wall of the second body part, such that when the body parts are closed, the opposite end of the panel provides a rib which locates beneath the underside of the lug, thus preventing it from being depressed.
12. A dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the presence of a toilet block within the dispensing device prevents opening of the device by making the two stage closure arrangement impossible to open.
13. A dispensing substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.