GB2369377A - Toilet detergent dispensing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A toilet detergent dispensing unit comprises a detergent holder (1) provided with sprung hook means (4) for suspending the holder from the rim of a toilet bowl (2), and an additional sprung member (5) which presses against the side of the toilet bowl so as to maintain the holder substantially vertical in use.

Description

Suspension mechanism for toilet detergent The present invention concerns the use of a dual spring system for the automatic adjustment of a toilet cleaning unit from the rim of a conventional household toilet.

Toilet rim blocks, rim sticks and the like are well known in the art and conventionally incorporate a hook mechanism which extends from the device, typically from below the rim of a toilet, over the rim and on to the outside so as to clamp the device in place (e. g. DE 3419169 (Henkel) etc.).

Various designs of toilet have differing rim widths and hence inherent springiness is usually built in to the hook so that a light clamping effect is obtained in normal conditions. With the advent of liquid rim blocks in which a liquid is dispensed from a reservoir via a release mechanism (e. g.

EP 0878 586 (Buck Chemie), EP 538 957 (Sara Lee), WO 00/42260 (Jeyes) ) it is desirable that the devices are maintained substantially upright for the release mechanism to operate consistently between toilet designs.

Two solutions are known in the art, GB 2 345 494 proposes a sliding plate which extends from the device back towards the inner wall of the toilet. The consumer may extend this such that it results in the device being supported on and below the rim such that the device is substantially vertical. However, in practice consumers are not want to carefully measure the toilet rims, or apply remove and readjust a device incorrectly positioned and hence the consumers natural reluctance to handle their toilet bowl removes the benefit of this approach.

Alternatively EP 1 046 755 (Sara Lee) proposes a flap that falls below the rim on to the inner wall. However, the primary function is to direct water to the device and the extent to which the flap extends, i. e. its angle of repose, will depend upon, rather than influence the position of the device.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate some or all of these disadvantages with prior art mechanisms by the use of a balance of forces applied by sprung members such that a device suspended at least in part under the rim of a toilet maintains a substantially vertical orientation. According to the present invention there is provided a holder for a detergent dispensing means

for use with a toilet bowl comprising a sprung supporting means to suspend the device from the t rim of a toilet bowl and at least one other spring which works in at least one plane antagonistically to the first.

With a device embodying the above mentioned description, the object of the invention can be achieved, namely, a substantially vertical orientation of a toilet detergent dispensing unit can be automatically maintained by the combination of the forces of the springs, under a wider variety of toilet rim geometry's than hitherto possible.

To aid clarification of the invention, a practical example of a detergent unit will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, all the drawings are schematic representations only: Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of a dispensing unit (1) attached to the rim of a toilet bowl (2) and showing an internal waterway of the toilet bowl (3) from which water will cascade down and typically impinge on the unit. To aid this interaction a ledge like protrusion may typically be incorporated in the unit but this has been omitted for clarity.

The unit is held on the rim by means of a hook (4) which has a spring action inherent in it and therefore presses the unit (1) against the inner (here left hand) edge of the toilet rim. The unit of the invention additionally comprises an additional sprung member (5) which presses against the side of the toilet bowl below the rim so as to maintain the substantially vertical orientation of the unit (1).

Hence, the primary sprung supporting means is a compression spring in use and the other, secondary, spring or springs which at least in part work antagonistically with the first is/are expansion springs in normal use.

Fig. 2 is a similar vertical cross section showing the problem of misalignment of the unit which

is overcome by the invention. t Fig. 3 is a further cross section showing how the problem shown in Fig. 2 is overcome by sprung member 5 which counteracts but does not exceed the force imparted on the unit by sprung hook 4 thus maintaining the device in a substantially vertical orientation.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of the device shown in the previous figures cut through at the level of the sprung member 5. Sprung member 5 is (typically an integral plastic moulding element of the whole device, moulded substantially perpendicular to the inner face of the device and bent inwards to create a spring) sprung around a fulcrum (6) and exerts a pressure in direction 7 against the toilet wall (2) and is restrained by a component of the greater force exerted on the unit by hook 4 (such forces being in toto, obviously in the plane in consideration the forces are in equilibrium).

Fig. 5 is a similar vertical cross section to that shown in Fig. 4 and shows a preferred arrangement of sprung members. The sprung element (5) remains and an additional sprung element (9) is introduced which pivots around another point (8) such as to produce a sprung force in substantially the same direction. However, the force is exerted at a contact point (10) which varies in its distance from the first pivot point (6) such that the distance is proportional to the extent the spring opens. In other words when the spring elements (5 and 9) are closed the pivot point 10 is close to pivot point 6 and leverage dictates that its contribution to the force exerted at the end of sprung member 5 furthest from its own pivot (6) is low. When the spring elements open the pivot point 10 moves (i. e. slides along) towards the end of sprung member 5 and hence leverage dictates that its now reduced force (Hooks law) actually exerts a proportionally greater contribution to the force at the end of member 5.

In summary the total force exerted by the combined sprung members is no longer linear with extension and hence the ability of the spring to support the device away from the toilet wall is reduced more slowly the greater the gap that has to be filled.

Hence, whilst the primary sprung supporting means substantially obeys Hooks law the other, secondary, combination sprung unit or units does not as a net effect of their manner of interaction. This is so that the inner springs a net non Hookean force spring response when it opens better keeps the device upright (this being a preferred orientation for operation rather than a function of geometry) when a larger gap has to be filled and hence the most optimum orientation of the device, particularly a liquid filled device can be maintained..

In a preferred embodiment of the invention sprung members internal to the toilet bowl in normal use are held closed by a water soluble glue, band or other restraint that releases when the device is used and thus the consumer has greater convenience in positioning the device.

The device is typically constructed of plastics materials formed by extrusion and the spring elements in the device produced by moulding the device such that the springs are fully contracted and hence when extended for normal use a restoring force is created.

Any one aspect of the invention may be used in combination with any other aspect of the invention.

For the purposes of the current application the elastic modulus of any sprung member is defined as constant K in the Hooks law equation: Force = K x Extension equation (a) It is recognised that for practical purposes few materials show ideal Hookean behaviour but that at least substantial adherence for any sprung member working in isolation is considered.

It is a preferred embodiment of the invention (c. f. Fig. 5) that the secondary sprung member (i. e. the sum of the mechanical components creating the second antagonistic force on the inside of the toilet bowl) do not substantially obey Hooks law when taken as a resultant sum total and more preferably the force exerted will decrease more slowly than predicted by a simple Hookean response of equation (a).

I. e. the other, secondary, combination sprung unit or units may preferably not obey Hooks law either individually or as a net effect of their manner of interaction.

When in normal use the primary supporting member will exert forces on the unit in two or more planes and the secondary member will only exert forces in one primary plane which is directly antagonistic to one plane in which force is exerted by the first member.

I. e. The main sprung hook (s) supports and clamps the device, the other spring (s) only clamps.

Typical compression forces exerted by the primary supporting, hooked sprung member (4) will typically be between 1 and 10 Newtons, preferably from 2 to 5 Newtons and the elastic modulus of the secondary (5, antagonistic sprung member) with be greater than the first (4) when each member is measured in isolation.

The forces exerted by the secondary sprung member (5) will typically be between 0.1 and 5 Newtons, preferably from 0.25 to 3 Newtons A further embodiment of the present invention my be described as comprising a supporting mechanism for a detergent unit such that it comprises two or more sprung elements such that at least two such elements are, in normal use antagonistic to one another and the one element or combination thereof exerts a force of between 1 and 10 Newtons when fully extended and the second antagonistic element exerts a force of between 0.1 and 5 Newtons when fully compressed.

The detergent formulation suitable for use with the invention are as described in the art and will typically include at least one surface active agent which may, for example, be an anionic, cationic, non-anionic or amphoteric surface active agent. Any of the surface active agents widely used in detergent formulations may be employed in the present invention. Such agents are typically employed in amounts of from 1 to 15% by weight.

Further detergent formulation components envisaged include anti-foam agents, sequestrants (e. g. of the phosphonate type), whiteness maintenance agents (e. g. CMC, polyoxyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate), colorants (e. g. dyestuffs), perfume, flow control agents (e. g. a sulphate) flow enhancer (e. g. a zeolite), pH regulators (e. g. a carbonate or bicarbonate), anti-corrosion agents, dye transfer inhibitors (e. g. PVP) and optical brighteners (e. g. Tinopal CBS-X and Tinopal DMS-X). These components may, for example, each be present in amounts up to 1% by weight of the formulation.

A perfume will typically be formulated in a product using the invention. The perfume ingredients and compositions of this invention are the conventional ones known in the art. Selection of any perfume component, or amount of perfume, is based on aesthetic considerations. Many suitable perfume ingredients with odour characteristics, and physical and chemical properties, such as molecular weight and boiling point, are given in"Perfume and Flavour Chemicals (Aroma Chemicals), "Steffen Arctander, 1969, publ. , Steffen Arctander incorporated herein by reference.

A bactericide may be optionally included in the detergent product or the external carton packaging. Compositions containing bactericide will contain from 5 to 0. 0001% bactericide, virucide or anti-microbial agent, preferably from 2 to 0. 001%, more preferably from 1 to 0.005% most preferably from 0.1 to 0. 01%. Biocides as listed in annex 1 of the Biocidal Products Directive of the European Union are considered particularly suitable.

For the purposes of the invention a detergent unit is any unit or assemblage which is capable of providing a cleaning, freshening or perfuming action.

Claims (8)

1. Claims 1) A holder for a detergent dispensing means for use with a toilet bowl comprising a sprung supporting means to suspend the device from the rim of a toilet bowl and at least one other spring which works in at least one plane antagonistically to the first.
2. 2) A sprung device as described in claim 1 in which the primary sprung supporting means substantially obeys Hooks law and in which the other, secondary, combination sprung unit or units does not, either individually or as a net effect of their manner of interaction.
3. 3) A sprung device as described in claim 1 wherein the primary sprung supporting means is a compression spring in use and the other, secondary, spring or springs which at least in part work antagonistically with the first are expansion springs in normal use.
4. 4) A supporting mechanism for a detergent unit such that it comprises two or more sprung elements such that at least two such elements are, in normal use antagonistic to one another and the one element or combination thereof exerts a force of between 1 and 10 Newtons when fully extended and the second antagonistic sprung element exerts a force of between 0.1 and 5 Newtons when fully compressed.
5. 5) A unit as described in claim 4 wherein the unit is a detergent dispensing means for use with a toilet bowl and wherein the weaker spring is present on the internal face of the toilet bowl and the stronger is substantially on the external face of the toilet bowl and in addition is the primary means to support the device in the vertical direction.
6. 6) A unit as described in claim 5 wherein the one stronger spring element exerts a force between 2 to 5 Newtons and the secondary sprung element has a substantially non Hookean force response to a given change in extension over at least a portion of its expansion range.
7. 7) A device as described in any proceeding claim in which some or all of the sprung members are held closed by a water soluble glue, band or other restraint that releases when the device is used and such that the consumer has greater convenience in positioning the device.
8. 8) A device as described in any proceeding claim wherein the detergent dispensing means is a liquid rim block in which a liquid is dispensed from a reservoir via a release mechanism.