WO1995025854A1

WO1995025854A1 - Re-fillable wc basket

Info

Publication number: WO1995025854A1
Application number: PCT/EP1995/000916
Authority: WO
Inventors: Georg Mühlhausen; Erick TÜRK
Original assignee: Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien
Priority date: 1994-03-22
Filing date: 1995-03-13
Publication date: 1995-09-28
Also published as: DK0752032T3; DE59501378D1; ATE162870T1; DE4409713C2; EP0752032B1; ES2112054T3; DE4409713A1; EP0752032A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a container (1) for holding a block of active substance (14). The container can be securely clamped with a holder (4) at its site of use. The holder is connected to an annular element (5, 6) on whose faces basket-like shells (2, 3) are integrally formed. The basket-like shells (2, 3) consist of a plurality of clamping ribs (11) of flexible, resilient material and extend approximately axially away from the annular element (5, 6). At least one of the shells (2) comprises on its side remote from the annular element (5, 6) an insertion funnel (13) which is defined by the free ends of the clamping ribs (11) and is resiliently tensioned. The at least one shell (2) with the insertion funnel (13) comprises a snug (9) whose lower end is integrally formed on the annular element (5, 6) and which furthermore extends in a detached and substantially parallel manner between the clamping ribs (11) which are not spread apart. Its upper end is formed with a sharp edge. At least one of the principal dimensions (A, B) of the insertion funnel (13) is smaller than the corresponding principal dimension (A', B') of the block of active substance (14) which can be inserted through the insertion funnel (13) into the container (1).

Description

"Refillable toilet bowl"

The invention relates to a container for coated active ingredients.

Active ingredients such as fragrances or disinfectants are often volatile and / or water-soluble. In order to provide protection against loss of substance due to volatilization or solution through moisture, for example atmospheric humidity, the active substances are encased.

A special example of this are so-called toilet fragrance stones in toilet baskets. The fragrance stones for dispensing fragrance and disinfectant substances contained therein are filled into these baskets, which can be hung in toilet bowls.

Such a toilet basket is known from DE-OS 34 23 758. This is a container for holding an active ingredient stone with a holder and a ring body connected to it and two basket-like shells formed on the end faces thereof, which consist of several clamping ribs made of flexible, resilient material extending approximately axially from the ring body, at least one of which Shell in its side facing away from the ring body has a spring-loaded insertion funnel defined by the free ends of the clamping rib. Fragrance stones can be used in such a container.

One problem was that the wrapper had to be opened or removed for the fragrances and disinfectants to take effect. Opening or removing by hand is undesirable for many users, especially with regard to sensitive people and children. Therefore, water-soluble casings have been proposed that are automatically removed when the water flush is actuated. But this has the disadvantage that the effect of the active ingredients only with a time delay after use, namely only after the coating has dissolved through the rinsing water.

The invention is based on the problem of proposing an automatic opening of the coating of active substances when they are carried away into a container. This problem is solved according to the invention by a container described above, in which the shell with the insertion funnel has at least one mandrel, which is integrally formed on the ring body with its lower end, extends freestanding essentially parallel between the unspread clamping ribs and the upper end of which is sharp-edged and in which at least one of the main dimensions of the insertion funnel is smaller than the corresponding main dimension of the active ingredient stone. The mandrel is advantageously arranged on a side delimiting the smaller main dimension compared to the active stone.

If an active ingredient stone is guided through the introduction funnel into such a container, the active ingredient stone spreads apart the flexible clamping ribs that define the introduction funnel. The coating of the active ingredient stone is slit through the sharp-edged mandrel tip, so that the active ingredients can be dissolved and become effective with water the first time they are washed around. The user only comes into contact with the casing when introducing the active ingredient stone, since the slitting is carried out automatically by the mandrel.

It is particularly effective if the dome, which is made of the same material as the clamping ribs, is made substantially stiffer by reinforcement and / or profiling in relation to the clamping ribs. The formation of the insertion funnel can advantageously be improved in that the clamping ribs are bent inwards at their free end in such a way that the insertion funnel defined by the clamping ribs is conically tapered, the sharp-edged tip of the dome ending below the bent clamping ribs so that the latter is at their Spreading through the introduced active ingredient stone does not get caught on the dome tip, but expose the fixed dome tip. An even better insertion effect is achieved if the ends of the clamping rib are integrally connected to segments in the circumferential direction of the insertion funnel. In order to promote the spreading apart particularly on the side on which the dome is arranged, the clamping ribs adjacent to the dome are expediently connected to form a smaller segment than the other clamping ribs. This ensures that the smaller segment has greater flexibility than the larger segment or segments and is spread back significantly when the active ingredient stone is introduced, so that the rigid dome is exposed and the coating of the active ingredient stone can be slit open.

Notches are advantageously provided in the connecting web of the larger segments, as a result of which the connecting webs adapt even more flexibly to the outer contour of the active ingredient stone. A practical and aesthetically pleasing solution is achieved when the ring body and shells in the unspread state have a substantially elliptical shape, with a substantially rectangular shape of the ring body being provided in the area of the mandrel molding and the dome being an essentially rectangular shape tapering upwards Has profile.

For the application, for example for cleaning the container, it is advantageous if the ring body is formed in two parts, the two shells formed on the ring body halves being able to be joined together to form the container by being releasably pushed into one another and thereby being firmly latched by a corresponding device. So that the two container parts are not separated from one another in such an embodiment, the two ring body parts can advantageously be connected by a film hinge and in each case integrally molded, in particular injection molded, together with the shells and the holder.

Further advantages are shown by the subclaims and by the following description using an exemplary embodiment. An embodiment is shown in the drawing, wherein

Figure 1 shows a container according to the invention in side view.

Figure 2 shows the top view of the container in the unexpanded state.

3 shows a detail from FIG. 2 in a spread state;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective section of the container according to FIG. 1;

Fig. 5 is a partially sectioned inner side view of the container and

6 shows an active ingredient stone in an enveloping film.

In Fig. 1 an embodiment of the container 1 according to the invention is shown, the holder 4 is only indicated with its attachment to the ring body 5, 6. Basket-like shells 2, 3 are integrally formed on both sides of the ring body 5, 6, the shell 3 being closed on the side facing away from the ring body 6. Shell 2 has, on its side facing away from the ring body 5, an execution guide 13 which will be described in more detail later. The shells 2, 3 essentially consist of clamping ribs 11, between which slots 7, 8, 12 are arranged. These slots enable the washing medium, for example water, to easily penetrate into the interior of the container when the container 1 is washed around.

The clamping ribs of the shell 2 are connected to segments 2a, 2b on their side facing away from the ring body 5, at least slots 7, 8 being continuous and causing a separation between the segments 2a and 2b.

A dome 9 is shown on the left-hand side, which is designed to be free-standing in the shell 2 with an insertion funnel 13 at its upper end. In FIG. 2, a top view of the shell 2 clearly shows its border by the ring body 5 and the division of the shell 2 into the segments 2a and 2b. The otherwise elliptical shell 2 with the ring body 5 is bulged approximately at a right angle at the point where the dome 9 is arranged. This makes it possible to additionally stiffen the dome 9, which, moreover, is made of much stronger material than the clamping ribs 11, by angled shape. As on the right-hand side in FIG. 2, the clamping ribs 11 can be relatively narrow and separated by slots 12, but they can also be made wider, for example on the side that is not freely accessible to the flushing water.

In Fig. 2, the main dimensions A, B of the insertion funnel are designated. By comparing the representations in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spreading effect is illustrated, which is brought about by introducing an active ingredient stone 14 with at least one larger main dimension A ′, B ′ into the introduction funnel 13. In the non-spread state, the top view of the dome 9 is largely covered by the segment 2b. If the active ingredient stone 14 is introduced into the introduction funnel 13, the segments 2a and 2b bend apart. The spread of the smaller segment 2b is larger than that of the larger segment 2a. If the segment 2b is pushed away laterally by the active ingredient stone 14 (downward in the figure), the dome 9, which remains in its position due to its structural arrangement and rigidity, is exposed, so that its sharp-edged tip surrounds the foil 15 which surrounds the active ingredient stone 14 slits open when inserted.

4 and 5 it can be clearly seen that by bending the sides of the clamping ribs 11 facing away from the ring body 5 or their connecting webs, a conically inwardly directed insertion funnel 13 is formed. The notches 10 arranged in the connecting webs of the clamping ribs promote the flexible adaptation of the connecting webs to the active ingredient stone 14. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 it can be clearly seen that the upper tip of the dome 9 ends below the bent clamping rib ends or their connecting webs. This is for the reason that the segment 2b does not get stuck at the top of the dome 9 when the active ingredient stone 14 is expanded or the dome 9 is not moved out of its position by the expanding segment 2b. 6 shows an active substance block 14 with its main dimensions A ', B' and a film-like covering 15. The length of the active substance stone is such that it is completely enclosed by the container 1 after it has been introduced.

The illustrated embodiment has a guiding funnel only on one side, i. H. in the bowl 2. The container can, however, also be designed with two-sided openings and insertion guides 13 formed therein. As in the exemplary embodiment shown, the container can be formed in two parts, the shell 2 being formed on the ring body 5 and the shell 3 on the ring body 6. In this embodiment, the holder 4 is arranged on the ring body 5. In this two-part form, the ring body parts 5 and 6 can be connected by a film hinge (not shown), so that they cannot be separated from one another even when they are not assembled. In this two-part design, a suitable latching device is to be provided between the ring body parts 5 and 6, by means of which the parts are firmly latched together when pushed into one another. The container can also be designed so that the two ring bodies 5 and 6 are firmly connected to each other with the shells 2 and 3 arranged thereon.

Claims

P aten ta n speech

1. Container for receiving an active ingredient stone (14) with a holder (4) and an associated annular body (5, 6) and two basket-shaped shells (2, 3) formed on the end faces thereof, which consist of several, approximately axially from the annular body (5, 6) extending clamping ribs (11) made of flexible, resilient material, at least one shell (2) on its side facing away from the ring body (5, 6) having a spring-loaded insertion funnel defined by the free ends of the clamping ribs (11) (13) has

d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that

the shell (2) with the introduction funnel (13) has at least one dome (9), which is formed with its lower end on the ring body (5, 6), the rest of which, in a freestanding manner, extends essentially parallel between the unspread clamping ribs (11) and the upper end of which is sharp-edged, at least one of the main dimensions (A, B) of the introduction funnel (13) is smaller than the corresponding main measurement (A ', B') of the active ingredient stone (13).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the dome (9) is arranged on a side which limits the main dimension compared to the active substance stone (14).

3. Container according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the dome (9) consists of the same material as the clamping ribs (11) and is much stiffer by reinforcement and / or profiling in relation to the clamping ribs (11).

4. Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the clamping ribs (11) of the shell (2) with the inlet funnel (13) are bent inwards at the free end such that the insertion funnel (13) defined thereby tapers conically and the sharp-edged end of the dome (9) ends below the bent clamping rib ends.

5. Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the clamping rib ends in the circumferential direction of the insertion funnel (13) in groups to form segments (2a, 2b) are integrally connected, in particular are molded onto one another.

6. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the dome (9) adjacent clamping ribs (11) to a smaller segment (2b) than the other clamping ribs (11) are connected.

7. Container according to claim 6, characterized in that in the or the connecting web (s) of the larger segment (s) (2a) notches (10) are provided.

8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ring body (5, 6) and the shells (2, 3) are essentially elliptical in the unspread state, with an essentially rectangular shape of the ring body in the region of the dome arrangement ( 5, 6) is provided and the dome (9) has an upward tapering, essentially rectangular profile.

9. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the annular body (5, 6) can be pushed into one another on both sides and releasably, firmly latching.

10. Container according spoke 9, characterized in that the two parts of the ring body (5, 6) connected by a film hinge and molded in one piece with the shells (2, 3) and the holder (4), in particular injection molded.