US2983929A - Flush tank deodorizer and sanitizer - Google Patents

Description

May 16, 1961 R. D. BOLDING 2,983,929

FLUSH TANK DEODORIZER AND SANITIZER Filed May 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EJCHAZD D. BOLDNG- ATTORNEYS May 16, 196] R. D. BOLDING FLUSH TANK DEODORIZER AND SANITIZER Filed May 29, '1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fo s 72 ?Z/ 9 Ice 96 us E l g-7 5 I /2 F 8 INVENTOR.

BIC-HARD D. BQL-DING- AT TOIZN EYS FLUSH TANK DEODORIZER AND SANITIZER Richard D. Balding, 275 E. Carter St., Rialto, Calif. Filed May 29, 1958, Ser. No. 738,665

El Claim. (Cl. 4-228) This invention relates to improvements in automatic deodorizers and sanitizers for toilet flush tanks, and more particularly to an improved device of this kind which involves a liquid dispenser having a float valve which is opened by the fall of the water level in a flush tank so as to dispense deodorizing and sanitizing into refill water entering the flush tank.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simpler, more practical and more eficient device of this kind whose valve is unconnected to and is independent of the mechanical movements of components of a flush tank mechanism, and wherein the dispensing of deodorizing and sanitizing liquid is produced by gravity and siphoning action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive device of the character indicated above which can be produced for merchandising and storing as a compact and sealed unit, which can contain deodorizing and sanitizing liquid, and wherein an operating component of the device is utilized as the closure for the liquid container, and as a sealed enclosure for the remaining operating components of the device.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a group perspective View of a device of the invention, in sealed condition, and of a bracket for suspending the device in a toilet flush tank;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a toilet flush tank, with its cover removed, showing the device mounted therein; I

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section, on a reduced scale, taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse section taken through the lower part of the liquid container and the float valve structure, showing the valve in elevated closed position;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, showing the. valve in depressed open position; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 88 of Figure 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like nu merals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional toilet flush tank having a bottom wall 12, side walls 14, and end walls 16. Mounted on an intermediate part of the bottom wall 12 is a flush tank seat assembly 18 including a seat 20 communicating with a flush pipe 22 leading to an associated toilet bowl (not shown) and an upstanding overflow pipe 24. A flush valve assembly 26 includes v United States Patent a ball 28 for seating in the seat 20 to provide for retaining flushing water W in the tank 10 in the usual way.

The illustrated device of the invention, generally designated 30, is packaged for merchandising and storing at a unit, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, comprising an elongated container 32, preferably of cylindrical form, having a closed end 34, and an open end in the form of a reduced diameter externally threaded neck 36. An external lateral flange or bead 38 is provided around the closed end of the container 32 so as to define an annular shoulder 40 to bear upon a. resilient split ring 42 secured to an arm 44 of an inverted U-shaped hook 46 constituting a mounting bracket 48 for the container 32. For securing the bracket 48 around the container 32 in the merchandized and storage ocndition of the unit, the ends of the ring 42 have therein oppositely formed notches 50 and 52 which are engageable with each other, with the ring ends overlapped so as to clamp the ring 42 on the container 32 under the shoulder 40. On one end of the ring 42 is formed a return bent circular hook 54 which serves as a dispensing tube retainer.

The device 30 further comprises a pan-shaped closure cap 56 which has a flat web 58 and thereon a peripheral flange or side wall 60 which is both intern-ally and externally threaded, as indicated at 62 and 64, respectively. The cap 56 is threaded on the container neck, and has in its web 58 a relatively large central opening 66, and a relatively small eccentric opening 68. Securably engaged, as indicated at 70, in the small opening 68 and communicating with the interior of the container 32 is a relatively small diameter flexible dispensing tube 72. In the merchandising and storage condition of the device 30, the free end of the tube 72 is closed and sealed, as indicated at 74, to contain the deordorizing and sanitizing liquid L in the container 32, and the closure 74 must be cut away when the device is installed for use.

Fixedly secured, in suitable manner, in the relatively large central opening 66 of the cap web 58, and extending longitudinally outwardly or downwardly from the web 58, is a hollow cylindrical valve seat 76, having a flat outer end wall 78, a side wall which is imperforate except for a row of relatively small airholes 82 extending therearound close to the web 58, and a conical inner end wall 84. The smaller inner end of the conical wall 84 has a central opening 86 which is in communication with the related end of a relatively small diameter straight air tube 88 which has an open end 90 located close to and spaced from the closed end 34 of the container 32. The air tube 88 is positioned axially in the container 32.

The outer end wall 78 of the valve seat 76 has a central, preferably square valve stem opening 92 therein which is surrounded by a plurality of relatively small air holes 94. Working non-rotatably and freely through the valve stem opening 92 is a preferably square valve stem 96 having a threaded outer end portion 98 backed by a fixed collar 100, and a smooth inner end portion 102 working in the opening 92, which terminates in an enlarged diameter valve 104.

The valve 104 has a cylindrical portion 106 sliding against the valve seat side wall 80 and a conical inner end portion or needle 108 which is arranged to conformably engage the conical end wall 84 of the valve seat 76 and closethe opening 86 leading to the air tube 88.

In the packaged condition of the device 10, as shown in Figure 2, the dispensing tube 72 is coiled around the valve seat 76 and the projecting part of the valve stem 96 and a semi-elliptical cup-shaped hollow valve-operating float 110, having internal screw threads 112 at its open end 114, is screwed onto the flange 60 of the cap 56, so as to serve as an enclosure for the dispensing tube 72, the valve stem 96, the valve seat 76, and the cap 56, and seal the device against leakage of its liquid content.

The device 30, as shown in Figure 4 and other figures of the drawings, is made ready for installation and use, by removing the float 110 from the cap 56, snipping off the closed end 74 of the dispensing tube 72 and uncoiling the same, and then threading the float 110 into the threaded end portion 98 of the valve stem 96, the closed end of the float 110 being provided with a threaded blind bore 116 for this purpose. The device 30 is then installed in the flush tank by inserting it downwardly therein and engaging the mounting bracket hook 48 over the upper edge of the end Wall 16 of the tank 10 adjacent to the overflow pipe 24; and then running the dispensing tube 72 through the retainer 54 on the bracket 48 and dropping the open end of the tube 72 into the overflow pipe 24. The dispensing tube 72 must be long enough so that its open end 73 is then below the level of the lower end of the container 32, so that the necessary gravity and siphon flow of liquid from the container 32 into the overflow pipe 24 will take place under the conditions hereinafter described. As seen in Figure 4, the float 110, in the installed position of the device 30, is sufliciently spaced above the bottom wall 12 of the flush tank 10, that the float 110 is free to fall to the depressed valve opening position thereof shown in Figure 7, without striking the bottom wall 12.

The above described components of the device 30 can be made of any suitable rust and corrosion-resistant materials, such as suitable metals and plastics, and are seen to be capable of easy and economical manufacture.

In operation, the flush tank 10 being filled to normal level with flushing water W, as shown in Figure 4, the float 110 is in an elevated position, wherein the needle 108 of the valve 104 is seated in the conical end 84 of the valve seat 76 and closes the opening 86, and the cylindrical portion 106 of the valve is in closing relation to the holes 82. In this condition, outside air cannot enter the container 32 via the air tube 88, and this precludes flow of liquid L out of the container 32 via the dispensing tube 72.

However, when the water W in the tank 10 is flushed out of the pipe 22, by operation of the tank mechanism, and subsides to a level near the bottom wall 12 of the tank 10, thefloat 110 falls to its depressed position, carrying with it the valve 104 and thereby opening the holes 82 in the valve seat side wall 80, and also the opening 86 to the air tube 88, so that air present in the tank above the subsided water therein, is free to flow through the valve seat holes 94 and 82 into the valve seat 76 and upwardly through the air tube 88 into the interior of the container 32, and thereby free the liquid L to flow partially by gravity and partially by siphon action, through the dispensing tube 72 into the tank overflow pipe 24. This flow of deodorizing and sanitizing liquid from the container 32 into the tank overflow pipe 24 accompanies entrance of flushing water into the tank 10. Rising of the flushing water in the tank 10 toward its normal level elevates the float 110 from its depressed valve-opening position to its elevated valveclosing position, so that flow of liquid L from the container 32 is shut off, until the next flushing of the tank 10. Obviously, the deodorant and sanitizer flowing into the bowl from the overflow pipe 24 efliciently deodorizes and sanitizes the water present in the associated toilet bowl.

Although I have shown and described herein a specific form of my invention, it is to be understood that any change or changes in the structure and in the relative arrangements of the components are contemplated as being within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claim appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a toilet flush tank having a bottom wall, an end wall, and an overflow tube adjacent to said end wall, of a vertical container containing deo dorizing and sanitizing liquid having a closed upper end wall, an open neck on the lower end of the container, a cap closing the neck and having a web and a flange, said flange being engaged around the neck, a vertical hollow valve seat traversing and secured to said web, said valve seat having a side wall, a lower end wall and an upper end wall, said upper end wall being provided with a central opening, an upstanding air tube positioned axially and spacedly within said container above said valve seat, said air tube having an open lower end secured to said upper end wall of the valve seat in communication with said central opening, said air tube having an open upper end positioned close to and spaced below the upper end wall of the container, said valve seat side wall having air holes therein below the cap, a valve within said valve seat having a lower portion engaging said side wall for closing and opening said air holes and an upper portion for engagement with the upper end wall of the valve seat and closing the central opening therein, a valve stem fixed to and depending from said valve and freely traversing the lower end Wall of the valve seat, said valve stem having a lower end portion below the valve seat, a float secured on said lower end portion of the valve stem, bracket means suspending said container from the tank end wall at an elevation enabling free upward and downward movements of said float without contact thereof with the flush tank bottom wall, and a flexible liquid dispensing tube having a first open end secured through the web of said cap at one side of the valve seat, said dispensing tube leading into the tank overflow pipe and having an open second end disposed within the overflow pipe at a level below said container, elevation of the float from depressed position by flushing water entering the tank serving to position the valve to close said air holes and said central opening to the air pipe, and subsidence of the float due to fall of water in the tank below the level of the container as the tank is flushed serving to position the valve to open the air holes and said central opening to the air tube, and provide for flow of liquid from the container through said dispensing tube into the tank overflow pipe into flushing water entering the overflow pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 966,900 Garnet Aug. 9, 1910 1,322,838 Sowerby Nov. 25, 1919 1,909,836 Kline May 16, 1933 2,372,544 Borman et a1. Mar. 27, 1945 2,492,944 Aycock Jan. 3, 1950 2,518,637 Priess Aug. 15, 1950 2,587,388 Ryder Feb. 26, 1952 2,623,500 Riley et al. Dec. 30, 1952 2,870,943 Scoggin Jan. 27, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 692,563 Great Britain June 10, 1953

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