LIQUID SUPPLIER
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to liquid dispensers and in particular to arrangements for supplying quantities of liquids, such as cleaning and / or refreshing liquids, from the ring of a washbasin. Such dispensers typically comprise a reservoir in the form of an inverted bottle, which delivers the liquid to an impregnation device, such as a porous pad. A known device of this type is described in the European patent application EP-A-0 785 315. This application recognizes the problem with such devices that as the level of liquid in the bottle drops, the speed at which the Liquid is assortment falls over time and in this way makes the spout less effective. The solution to this problem suggested by the above reference is to provide a structure between the mouth of the bottle and the impregnation device, in order to allow both the flow of the liquid from the bottle to the impregnation device as well as a return flow. of air from the outside of the spout to the bottle. However, the proposed structure is complex and, therefore, expensive to manufacture. In addition, a given dispenser of the type described in this reference can only operate with a washbasin system having a predefined relative position of the washbasin ring and the cleaning water stream. A further problem with the prior art liquid dispensers of this type is that, when the consumer opens the bottle, for example, by inserting the inverted bottle into an assortment unit, some of the liquid is emptied as a result of the liquid in the bottle. the bottle is slightly above an atmospheric pressure, possibly since the act of sealing the mouth of the bottle in the factory pressurizes the liquid to a certain degree. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide liquid dispensers and methods for filling bottles for such dispensers that exceed, or at least mitigate, one or more of the above disadvantages of the prior art dispenser. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid assortment unit comprising a housing containing an impregnation device for transporting the liquid that will be dispensed from a reservoir to an assortment position, wherein the unit is thus structured that allows the position of the impregnation device to be adjusted between different positions in order to function in different environments. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assortment unit for dispensing a liquid from the ring of a sink, the unit comprising a housing having an impregnation device for transporting the liquid that will be dispensed from a device to a position within the cleaning water stream, wherein the unit is thus structured which allows the position of the impregnation device to be adjusted between different positions in order to operate with sinks with different shapes and different cleaning systems. The impregnation device is preferably provided with at least one ventilation opening, which when the device is adjustable, is positioned so that there is at least one ventilation hole in operation for each possible functional position of the adjustable impregnation device.
A spill tray is advantageously placed in use below the impregnation device having therein formed a ventilation channel arranged in communication with at least one operating ventilation opening. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid assortment unit comprising a housing containing an impregnation device for transporting the liquid that will be dispensed from a reservoir to an assortment position, wherein the impregnation device is provided with at least one ventilation opening, which during use communicates between the ambient air and the reservoir in order to allow the air to move the assorted liquid from the reservoir. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assortment unit for dispensing a liquid from the ring of a sink, the unit comprising a housing containing an impregnation device for transporting the liquid that will be dispensed from a reservoir towards a position within the cleaning water stream, wherein the impregnation device is provided with at least one ventilation opening, which during use communicates between the ambient air and the reservoir in order to allow the air to move the liquid assortment from the deposit. The opening or each vent opening may be in the form of a substantially circular hole or an elongated slot. The unit is preferably so constructed that it allows the position of the impregnation device to be adjusted between different positions in order to operate with sinks or different shapes and different washing systems. The assortment unit preferably further comprises a conduit for transporting the liquid from the reservoir to the impregnation device. The conduit may comprise a cylindrical inlet portion of substantially circular cross-section for coupling the circular mouth of a bottle constituting the reservoir and preferably ending obliquely in order to define a substantially elliptical opening. The conduit may further comprise a substantially cylindrical outlet portion, e.g., a substantially circular, rectangular or circular, D-shaped cross section, having a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than that of the inlet portion, and the inlet portion thereof. The duct can be laterally displaced from the outlet portion. Said arrangement is geometric and particularly advantageous when an adjustable impregnation device is provided. When the outlet portion has a D-shaped cross-section, the bar of the "D" can be arranged to coincide with a diameter of the substantially circular inlet portion of the conduit when viewed vertically. The outlet portion of the conduit abuts against the impregnation device in order to create a substantially liquid-tight seal between them.
The outlet portion is preferably at least partially surrounded by a barrier wall, which may be cylindrical and rectangular in cross section. This serves to prevent the entry of washing water into the tank. The impregnation device preferably comprises a first portion for receiving liquid from the reservoir and a second portion arranged to be placed during use in an assortment position. The second portion may be arranged to be placed during use within the cleaning water stream, in which case the second portion is preferably arranged to be placed during use between the first portion and the lavatory ring. The assortment unit is preferably structured so that the position of the impregnation device can be adjusted by sliding its first portion against the outlet portion of the conduit. The impregnating device is preferably substantially laminar and can be formed with a depression to receive the neck of a bottle constituting said reservoir. The impregnation device may be formed with one or more elongated openings and the housing may comprise one or more corresponding projections for coupling the elongated openings in order to define the most external operative position possible of the impregnation device. In this case, the projection or each projection can comprise a spring projection, which is arranged to couple its corresponding opening in the impregnation device when the impregnation device is inserted in the housing. The impregnation device may comprise a projection for insertion into the mouth of the reservoir during use, the projection having a ventilation channel formed therethrough. The impregnation device preferably comprises a porous pad, but may alternatively comprise a plate with capillary channels or circular holes formed therein. The capillary channels can be formed as elongated openings or elongated channels within the plate. The invention extends to the combination of said assortment unit and means for suspending the ring unit of a sink. The invention extends to the combination of said assortment unit, which is provided with a conduit having an input portion of substantially circular cross-section, and a bottle constituting the reservoir, the bottle comprising an opening for supplying the liquid of the same, the opening having a substantially circular cross section greater than that of the inlet portion of the conduit. The mouth of the bottle is covered before use with a brittle seal, which is arranged to be able to break during use by compressing the seal against the circular inlet portion of the conduit. Said arrangement is particularly convenient for the user. The invention extends to the combination of said assortment unit and bottle and means for suspending the unit and the bottle from the ring of a sink. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a unit of the liquid assortment comprising an impregnation device for transporting the liquid that will be dispensed from a reservoir to an assortment position, in combination with a reservoir bottle, in wherein the reservoir bottle is provided with ventilation means to allow ambient air to enter the bottle to displace the assorted liquid from the mass. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an assortment unit is provided for supplying a liquid from the ring of a sink, in combination with a reservoir bottle, the unit comprising an impregnation device for transporting the liquid that will be assortment from the reservoir bottle to a position within the wash water stream, wherein the reservoir bottle is provided with ventilation means to allow ambient air to enter the bottle to displace the liquid stocked therefrom. Ventilation means may comprise a one-way valve, such as a duckbill valve. Alternatively, the ventilation means may comprise a removable plug, and said unit may comprise a cooperative projection, which is positioned for the purpose of removing the plug when the reservoir bottle is placed by a user in its operative position in relation to the unit, to create a ventilation opening in the tank bottle. In a further arrangement, the ventilation means may comprise a removable seal, and said unit may comprise a cooperative hollow projection, which is positioned in order to remove the seal and pushes it toward the reservoir bottle when the reservoir bottle is placed by the user in its operative position in relation to the unit, the hollow projection constituting a ventilation board. In yet another arrangement, the ventilation means may comprise an air vent in the reservoir bottle, which is sealed through a cover portion that can be either removed by the user before being used or is automatically removed by the user. a projection disposed on the unit for the purpose of removing the cover portion when the deposit bottle is placed by the user in its operative position relative to the unit This invention extends to a method for filling and sealing an assortment bottle to be used as a reservoir within said assortment unit, the method comprises heating the liquid before sealing the reservoir bottle in order to create a partial vacuum inside the bottle when the liquid is cooled to room temperature. From this, the bottle can be compressed after filling the bottle with the liquid, and the bottle can be sealed while it is compressed. n in order to create a partial vacuum inside the bottle after sealing. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a liquid dispenser according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detail of the cross-sectional view of Figure 2 in a different configuration and without the reservoir bottle;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 but without the reservoir bottle; Figures 4a to 4c illustrate plan views from below of three different structures of the outlet portion; Figure 5 is a front view of the liquid spout of the
Figures 1 to 4; Figure 6 is a rear view of the spout of the liquid of Figures 1 to 5; Figure 7 schematically illustrates the manner in which a porous pad can be inserted into the housing of a liquid jet of the preferred embodiment; Figure 8 schematically illustrates the relative position of the assortment device of the preferred embodiment and a lavatory ring from which the device is suspended; Figure 9 schematically illustrates the relative position of the assortment device of the preferred embodiment in another configuration and a different washbasin ring from which the device is suspended; Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the different types of lavatory washing arrangements; Figure 11 illustrates an optional arrangement of a spill tray and vent channel for use with the preferred embodiment; Figure 12a illustrates a first alternative structure for the liquid jet impregnation device shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 12b is a cross-sectional view of the impregnation device shown in Figure 12a; Figure 13a illustrates a second alternative structure for the liquid jet impregnation device shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 13b is a cross-sectional view of the impregnation device shown in Figure 13a; Figure 14 illustrates a third alternative structure for the liquid jet impregnation device shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 15a is a perspective view of a fourth alternative structure of the impregnation device in combination with the reservoir bottle of the liquid dispenser shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 15b is a cross-sectional view of the impregnation device and reservoir bottle shown in Figure 15a; Figure 16a is a perspective view of a first alternative venting arrangement for the liquid jet shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 16b is a cross-sectional view of the ventilation arrangement shown in Figure 16a; Figure 17a is a perspective view of a second alternative venting arrangement for the liquid jet shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 17b is a cross-sectional view of the ventilation arrangement shown in Figure 16b; Figure 17c is a portion of the cross-sectional view of Figure 17b illustrating the release of the vent plug; Figure 18a is a perspective view of a third alternative ventilation arrangement for the liquid jet shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 18b is a cross-sectional view of the ventilation arrangement shown in Figure 18a; Figure 18c is a portion of the cross-sectional view of Figure 18b illustrating the rupture of the vent seal; Figure 19a is a perspective view of the upper part of the reservoir bottle and the housing in a fourth alternative ventilation arrangement for the liquid dispenser shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 19b is a cross-sectional view of the ventilation arrangement shown in Figure 19a after insertion of the reservoir bottle into the housing; Figure 20a is a perspective view of a fifth venting arrangement for the liquid assortment shown in Figures 1 to 10; Figure 20b is a perspective view of a portion of the bottle of the reservoir bottle shown in Figure 20a showing the separate cover plate for exposing the ventilation hole; and Figure 20c is a cross-sectional view of a sixth venting arrangement, similar to that shown in Figures 20a and 20b, but wherein the cover plate is automatically separated through a projection onto the liquid jet housing. in the insertion of the deposit bottle in the housing. Referring to Figures 1 to 7, a liquid jet
1 comprises a housing 2 and a suspension hook 3 mounted on springs for suspending the housing 2 of the ring of a washbasin (not shown). To facilitate manufacture, the suspension hook 3 is formed as a separate component of the housing 2, and the housing 2 is formed with an integral guide channel 4 (see Figure 2) of rectangular cross-section in which the lower end of the hook of suspension 3 is inserted during manufacture. The lower end of the suspension hook 3 comprises a raised, chamfered portion 5, so that, after insertion, the hook 3 remains engaged within the channel 4 through a quick-fitting arrangement. Once the unit is thus suspended, a user inserts into the housing 2 a sealed inverted reservoir bottle 6 in the housing 2. The insertion action causes the seal on the reservoir bottle 6 to break, in a manner that will be described later. An impregnation device in the form of a porous pad 7 is located in a slot within the housing 2, and this pad transports the liquid from the reservoir bottle 6 to a position within the stream of the wash water within the sink through of capillary action. The housing includes a conduit 8 for conveying the liquid from the reservoir bottle 6 to the porous pad 7. The conduit 8 comprises an inlet portion 9 of circular cross-section, which is dimensioned in order to fit snugly inside the mouth circular of the reservoir bottle 6. The inlet portion 9 ends obliquely, as can be clearly seen in Figures 2 and 3, in order to form an elliptical mouth. The reservoir bottle 6 is sealed through a plastic cap or sheet (not shown), and the action of inserting the inverted reservoir bottle 6 into the housing causes the cap to break, by virtue of the shape of the cap. the inlet portion 9 of the duct 8, in order to allow the liquid from the reservoir bottle 6 to fall by gravity towards the duct 8. The duct 8 further comprises an exit portion 10 in the shape of a cylinder, which is supports against the porous pad 7. The cross-sectional area of the outlet portion 10 is smaller than that of the inlet portion 9, and this helps to prevent, or at least minimize, the amount of wash water entering the outlet. Deposit. As can be seen from Figures 4a to 4c, the cylinder of the outlet portion 10 may be of circular or rectangular cross-section, in the shape of D, and the outlet portion 10 is partially or totally surrounded by a wall of Cylindrical barriers 10 'of rectangular cross section, which also acts to prevent the ingress of washing water. In the arrangements shown in Figures 4a and 4b, one of the two long sides of the rectangular cross section of the barrier wall 10 'coincides with the diameter of the circular cross section of the inlet portion 8 when viewed vertically. This arrangement allows the position of the porous pad 7 to be adjusted in order to ensure that a portion is always in the wash water stream for a wide range of different washes, while ensuring that the outlet portion 10 of the duct 8 is effectively closed through the porous pad 7. In the arrangement shown in Figure 4c, the center of the rectangular cross section of the outlet portion 10 coincides with the center of the circular cross section of the inlet portion 9 when it looks vertically. This arrangement is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with the embodiments of the impregnation device described below with reference to Figures 13a and 13b or Figure 14, or an impregnation device in the form of a plate having elongate channels therein. In the arrangements shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the inlet and outlet portions 9, 10 of the duct 8 are separated through a membrane provided with a small circular opening 10. In the arrangements shown in Figures 4a and 4c, the D-shaped cross section and the section The rectangular cross section of the outlet portion 10 'is large enough to supply a desired amount of liquid in the porous pad 7 between the washes The manner in which the position of the porous pad 7 can be adjusted by a user is illustrated in Figure 7. The porous pad 7 is provided with two elongated guide grooves 11, which are engaged through two corresponding spring lugs 12 in the housing 2. The guide grooves 11 serve to define the two end positions of the scale of possible positions of the porous pad 7 inside the housing 2. In order to allow the air to replace the assorted liquid from the tank bottle 6, a series of small ventilation holes 13, typically with a diameter of 1.3 mm, are formed in the porous pad 7 and are arranged so that, in any position of the porous pad 7 within the scale defined by the slots of guide 11, there is always at least one ventilation hole 13 communicating air from behind the porous pad 7 towards the mouth of the reservoir bottle 6 through the conduit 8.
The housing 2 is also formed with a series of comb-shaped openings 14 in the bottom of the front side, which allow the wash water to drain from above the porous pad 7. The housing 2 is further provided with a number of horizontal rib type projections 15 for coupling a corresponding horizontal groove (not shown) in the upper part of the reservoir bottle 6 in order to retain the reservoir bottle 6 in the operative position within the housing 2 once it has been inserted by a user. The operation of the adjustable porous pad 7 will now be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 illustrates the configuration of the assortment device 1 when used with a sink with an open ring. With the dispensing device 1 suspended from the ring 16 of said basin, it can be seen that the stream of wash water, indicated by the thick arrow, passes through the porous pad 7 when the porous pad 7 is in the fully inserted position. . However, when used with a box-shaped ring configuration sink, as shown in Figure 9, a larger porous pad is provided. However, it can be seen that, even if this larger porous pad 7 remained in its fully inserted position, the cleaning water stream emanating from the box-shaped ring 17 could not make contact with the porous pad 7, and the device , therefore, it could not function optimally.
With such a box-shaped ring configuration, a larger porous pad is provided, and this is withdrawn to a fully extended position, as shown in Figure 9, in order to expose a portion thereof to the flow of washing water, indicated by the thick arrow, while ensuring that the outlet portion 10 of the conduit 8 is still closed by the internal portion of the porous pad 7. As described above, this is secured by virtue of the grooves of guide 11 inside the porous pad 7 which abuts the spring projections 12 within the housing 2. The adjustability of the porous pad is of particular advantage when used with either open-ring sinks or box-type ring sinks, since there is a large scale of geometries within each type, as illustrated in FIG. Figure 10, which illustrates examples of the various toilet ring configurations for different countries, and thus indicating the utility of being able to select the porous pad and also adjust its position. More specifically, the drawing illustrates the distance between the position of the housing of the liquid spout and the stream of the washing water. The cross-grated area indicates the scale scale distances (up to 16 mm) for which the prior art liquid jets may be suitable, and the area with a single line indicates the distance scale (up to 22 mm) for a individual size of the porous pad according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. With larger pad sizes, the useful distance can be extended indefinitely, but in practice, the maximum distance required is approximately 48 mm. The bars indicate the scale of distances found in different countries, as follows: (a) Australia; (b) United Kingdom; (c) Malaysia; (d) South Africa; (e) France; (f) Italy; (g) Spain; (h) Japan; (i) Thailand; (j) Brazil, Argentina and Mexico; (k) Korea; (I) Philippines; (m) and (n) USA The vertical line that crosses the bars indicates a line of approximate division between the basins of the open ring construction (to the left of the line) and those of ring-shaped construction of box ( to the right of the line). In an alternative arrangement, shown in Figure 11, the housing 2 is provided with a spill tray 18 incorporating a vertical ventilation channel 19 placed in register with a vent hole 13 in the porous pad 7. Its function is to collect any excess liquid while still allowing venting of the reservoir bottle 6. A first alternative reservoir and impregnation structure is shown in a perspective view in Figure 12a and in a cross-sectional view in Figure 12b. In this modality, the impregnation device is in the form of a plate 20 having the same total shape indicated in Figure 7, with the elongated guide grooves 11 providing ability to adjust the position of the plate 20 to adapt different sink geometries. However, the plate 20 is not porous but rather is solid separated from a number of high past holes 21 formed therein. The holes serve to allow the liquid, when diluted with the wash water to pass through, in the direction of the transparent arrow, and also allow ventilation of the reservoir bottle 6, as shown by the solid arrow. The holes are small enough to prevent undiluted liquid from passing through them. A second alternative structure of the impregnation device is shown in a perspective view in Figure 13a and in a cross-sectional view in Figure 13b. As with the first alternative structure described above with reference to Figures 12a and b, the impregnation device is in the form of a plate 22 having the same overall shape as that illustrated in Figure 7, with the elongated guide grooves 11 providing ability to adjust the position of plate 22 to adapt to different sink geometries. In this embodiment, the plate 22 is again non-porous but solid from a number of elongated slots 23 formed therein in a generally parallel but chamfered configuration. The slots 23 allow the liquid, when diluted with the wash water to pass through, in the direction of the transparent arrow, and also allow ventilation of the reservoir bottle 6, as shown by the solid arrow. The grooves 23 are small enough to prevent undiluted liquid from passing through them. A third alternative structure of the impregnation device is shown in a perspective view in Figure 14. As with the second alternative structure described above with reference to Figures 13a and b, the impregnation device is in the form of a non-porous plate 24 having the same total shape as that illustrated in Figure 7, with the elongated guide slots 11 providing ability to adjust the position of the plate 24 to adapt different sink geometries and having a number of elongated slots 25 formed therein. . In this embodiment, the slots 25 are arranged in a parallel and not chamfered shape. In addition, a depression 26 is formed within the plate 24 to adapt the upper part of the inverted reservoir bottle 6. A fourth alternative structure of the impregnation device is shown in a perspective view in Figure 15a and in a sectional view cross section in Figure 15b. As with the second and third alternative structures described above with reference to Figures 13a and b and Figure 14, the impregnation device is in the form of a non-porous plate 27 having the same overall shape as that illustrated in Figure 7 and having a number of elongated slots 28 formed therein. In this embodiment, the slots 28 are generally arranged in a parallel shape but form a tapered geometry in the mouth region of the reservoir bottle 6. The plate 27 comprises a ventilation post 29, which coincides with the mouth of the reservoir bottle 6 in use in order to provide a ventilation channel. The vent post 29 is provided with a number of radial fins 30, which define conduits for the liquid between the reservoir bottle 6 and the plate 27. As with Figures 12b and 13b, the liquid flow and ventilation are indicated by transparent and solid arrows, respectively. It will be appreciated that, with this embodiment, a separate plate 27 will be needed to be provided for each different wash ring geometry. In the preferred mode, and in the alternative embodiments described above, ventilation has been achieved through the impregnation device. However, the invention extends to arrangements where ventilation is obtained in a more direct way by providing a ventilation opening in the same tank bottle, in addition to the mouth of the tank bottle through which the liquid is assortment . In a first alternative ventilation arrangement, as shown in the perspective view of Figure 16a and in the cross-sectional view of Figure 16b, the upper face of the reservoir bottle 31 is provided with a one way valve the shape of a duckbill valve 32. This allows air to pass to the reservoir bottle 31 when the pressure difference between the inside of the bottle and the outside reaches a predetermined level.
In a second alternative ventilation arrangement, as shown in a perspective view of Figure 17a and in the cross-sectional views in Figures 17b and c, the upper face of the reservoir bottle 33 is provided with a plug 34, the which seals an opening 35 within the reservoir bottle 33, and the housing 36 is provided with a corresponding pin 37 positioned such that, when the user inserts the reservoir bottle 33 into the housing 36, in the direction indicated in the Figure 17b by the transparent arrow, the pin 37 rests on the cap 34, in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in Figure 17c, and releases it to the reservoir bottle 33, as shown in Figure 17c. The pin 37 is dimensioned relative to the opening 35, in order to provide a ventilation channel between the pin 37 and the opening 35. In a third alternative ventilation arrangement, as shown in a perspective view of Figure 18a and in cross-sectional views in Figures 18b and c, the upper face of the reservoir bottle 38 is provided with a breakable seal 39, which covers an opening 40 within the reservoir bottle 38, and the housing 41 is provided with a corresponding tube member 42 positioned and sized so that, when the user inserts the reservoir bottle 38 into the housing 41, in the direction indicated by the transparent arrow in Figure 18b, the tube member 42 rests on the seal 39, in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in Figure 18c, release it into the reservoir bottle 38 and seal the opening 40, as shown in Figure 18c. In this manner, a ventilation channel is provided along the hole of the tube member 42. The end of the tube member 42 is chamfered to facilitate placement within the opening 40. In a fourth alternative ventilation arrangement, as shown in FIG. shows in a perspective view of Figure 19a and in a cross-sectional view in Figure 19b, the upper part of the reservoir bottle 43 is provided with a ventilation opening 44 other than, but close to, the mouth 45 of the reservoir bottle 43. Both the vent opening 44 and the mouth 45 of the reservoir bottle 42 are sealed before being used as a breakable seal (not shown). The housing 42 is provided with a post 47 positioned and sized such that, when the user inserts the reservoir bottle 43 into the housing 46, in the direction indicated by the transparent arrow in Figure 19a, the post 47 breaks the seal and it is inserted into the vent opening 44 and seals the opening 40, as shown in Figure 19b. In this way, a ventilation channel is provided along the hole of the post 47. In a fifth alternative ventilation arrangement, as shown in the perspective views of Figures 20a and b, the upper part of the storage bottle 48 is provided with a vent hole 49 covered by a removable tab 50, which is arranged to break from the reservoir bottle 48 by a user, by manipulation as indicated by the transparent arrows in Figure 20a, before inserting the reservoir bottle 48 in housing 51, as shown in Figure 20b. In a variant of this embodiment, as shown in a cross-sectional view in Figure 20c, the housing 51 is provided with a ramp projection 52, which is positioned in order to automatically remove the tongue 50 as a The user inserts the storage bottle 48 into the housing 51. The invention has been described above in relation to the preferred embodiments. However, many variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and the scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims. For example, although the impregnation device in the preferred embodiments has been described as comprising a porous pad or a plate having circular or elongated openings therethrough., the impregnation device can alternatively comprise a plate with elongated channels therein, and the liquid can be supplied from these channels by virtue of the washing water displacing the liquid from the channels. In addition, although the preferred embodiments refer to arrangements for supplying liquid from the ring of a sink, the invention can also be applied to arrangements for releasing an insecticide or an air freshener into the atmosphere.