Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03D—WATER-CLOSETS OR URINALS WITH FLUSHING DEVICES; FLUSHING VALVES THEREFOR
  • E03D9/00—Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells
  • E03D9/02—Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing
  • E03D9/03—Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing consisting of a separate container with an outlet through which the agent is introduced into the flushing water, e.g. by suction ; Devices for agents in direct contact with flushing water
  • E03D9/032—Devices connected to or dispensing into the bowl
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03D—WATER-CLOSETS OR URINALS WITH FLUSHING DEVICES; FLUSHING VALVES THEREFOR
  • E03D9/00—Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells
  • E03D9/02—Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing
  • E03D2009/024—Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing using a solid substance

Definitions

• the present invention relates to improved devices which are useful in providing a fragrancing effect. More particularly the present invention relates to improved devices useful in providing a fragrancing effect to a sanitary appliance, particularly to a toilet bowl.
• a device which are useful in providing a fragrancing effect which includes a solid composition (preferably, and hereinafter, called a gel body) comprising a fragrance within a container which container includes at least one exit aperture, and preferably which further also includes at least one entry aperture.
• a gel body preferably, and hereinafter, called a gel body
• the device and gel body are characterized in that when initially used, the gel body has a first initial volume but over the passage of time when used in the manner described hereinafter, the gel body shrinks in volume; the shrinkage of the gel body and its reduction in volume ultimately permits for the gel body to exit the container via the exit aperture.
• a process for providing a fragrancing effect to a sanitary appliance which process contemplates: a) providing a container which includes at least one exit aperture and which optionally but preferably includes an entry aperture; b) providing a gel body witliin the container, which may be already present within the container or which may be manually inserted into the container; c) providing the container to a sanitary appliance; wherein, subsequent to the initial installation of the container and gel body in the sanitary appliance, the gel body shrinks in volume which shrinkage of the gel body and its reduction in volume ultimately permits for the gel body to exit the container via the exit aperture; and, d) optionally, introducing a further gel body into the container, such as by manually inserting said further gel body into the container.
• a key aspect of the present invention resides in the nature of the gel body.
• the gel body When initially produced from its constituents it is necessarily a self-supporting body, that is to say that when removed from a mold or other cavity used to form the gel body, it is sufficiently rigid as to be able to stand when placed on a horizontal surface, e.g., a laboratory table top.
• a further characteristic of the gel body resides in the requirement that when used in accordance with the present inventive teaching, that is to say when it is exposed to air, over time it undergoes a reduction in its volume, and consequently in its size, from its first initial volume/size, to a subsequent volume/size which is reduced compared to the said first initial volume/size, the gel body necessarily shrinks in size from its initial volume/size.
• the solid composition/gel body may be water-soluble and, therefore, reduce in size over time when exposed to water.
• the mechanism for such a reduction in size/volume is not critical it only being required that sufficient shrinkage occurs such that, the initial size/volume of the gel body is too large to pass through the exit aperture present in the container, but over time, the gel body shrinks in volume and/or size sufficiently that it may fall out through the exit aperture of the container.
• the gel body desirably reduces in volume by at least 85% from its initial volume/size, desirably by at least 90%, more desirably by at least 95% from its initial volume/size.
• One preferred mechanism for such a reduction is that of sublimation of one or more of the constituents used to form the gel body.
• a further preferred mechanism for such a reduction is that of evaporation of one or more of the constituents used to form the gel body.
• the water-soluble composition exits the aperture it preferably still retain at least 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% of its original volume.
• the water-soluble body is retained in the device until the piont at which it has shrunk in volume by 60%, preferably 70%, 80%, 85% or 95%.
• the gel body of the invention necessarily comprises: water, one or more gelling agents, and a fragrance.
• the gel body includes a precipitating agent which may be used to precipitate the one or more gelling agents during the production of the gel body, and desirably also includes a preservative constituent.
• Gelling agents which may be used in the gel body of the invention include thickeners based on naturally occurring thickening materials including gums, cellulose based thickeners, clays, carbomers (e.g., CARBOPOL) and the like.
• Exemplarly naturally occurring thickening materials include xanthan gum, guar gum and locust bean gum, carageenan, and the like. Desirably the gelling agent is primarily carageenan.
• Exemplary cellulose based thickeners including but not limited to: methyl cellulose, methylethyl cellulose, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and the like. Due to availability, of cellulose based thickeners, carboxymethyl cellulose is preferred for use when included in the inventive compositions.
• gelling agents which may be any of those known to the art such as filmed silica, as well as starch based thickeners, including so called modified starch based thickeners as frequently encountered in the foods industry are also contemplated as being useful as useful gelling agents.
• carageenan is present in the gelling agents of the gel body.
• the gelling agents used in the gel body are blends of one or more cellulose based thickeners with one or more naturally occurring gum thickeners, particularly carageenan, wherein on a weight basis the amount of the former is less than the amount of the latter.
• the respective weight ratios of the one or more cellulose based thickeners with one or more naturally occurring gum thickeners is in the range of 1 : 1.1 to about 1:10.
• the sole gelling agent present is a gum based thickener, particularly is solely carageenan.
• the gelling agent is in the initially formed gel body in amounts of up to about 10%wt, preferably is present in amounts of from about 0.0001 - 5%wt, and more preferably is present in amount of about 0.01 - 5%wt. based on the total weight of the gel body.
• the gel body according to the invention necessarily includes at least one fragrance composition, which term is used to refer to and to include any non-water soluble fragrance substance or mixture of such substances including those which are naturally derived (i.e., obtained by extraction of flower, herb, blossom or plant), those which are artificially derived or produced (i.e., mixture of natural oils and/or oil constituents), and those which are synthetically produced substances (odiferous substances).
• any non-water soluble fragrance substance or mixture of such substances including those which are naturally derived (i.e., obtained by extraction of flower, herb, blossom or plant), those which are artificially derived or produced (i.e., mixture of natural oils and/or oil constituents), and those which are synthetically produced substances (odiferous substances).
• perfumes are complex rnixtures or blends various organic compounds including, but not limited to, certain alcohols, aldehydes, ethers, aromatic compounds and varying amounts of essential oils such as from about 0 to about 85% by weight, usually from about 10 to about 70% by weight, the essential oils themselves being volatile odiferous compounds and also functioning to aid in the dissolution of the other components of the perfumes.
• Commercially available fragrance compositions may also include a small proportion of further materials such as diluents, surfactants especially nonionic surfactants which improve the aqueous solubility of any non- water soluble fragrance substance or mixture of such substances in an aqueous composition. Such further materials are considered to form part of the fragrance compositions of the present invention.
• exemplary essential oils are which are useful in the production of fragranced compositions include Anethole 20/21 natural, Amseed oil china star, Aniseed oil globe brand, Balsam (Peru), Basil oil (India), Black pepper oil, Black pepper oleoresin 40/20, Bois de Rose (Brazil) FOB, Borneol Flakes (China), Camphor oil, White, Camphor powder synthetic technical, Canaga oil (Java), Cardamom oil, Cassia oil (China), Cedarwood oil (China) BP, Cinnamon bark oil, Cinnamon leaf oil, Citronella oil, Clove bud oil, Clove leaf, Coriander (Russia), Coumarin 69°C (China), Cyclamen Aldehyde, Diphenyl oxide, Ethyl vanilin, Eucalyptol, Eucalyptus oil, Eucalyptus citriodora, Fennel oil, Geranium oil, Ginger oil, Ginger oleoresin (India), White grapefruit oil, Guaiac
• the precise composition of the fragrance composition is of no particular consequence to cleaning performance so long as it may be effectively included as a constituent of the compositions, and have a pleasing fragrance.
• the fragrance composition, as well as the other constituents used in making up compositions of the invention should be attractive to consumers and acceptable for use in a domestic and/or industrial or institutional environment.
• the fragrance composition is present in amounts of up to about 3%wt, preferably is present in amounts of from about 0.0001 - 2.5%wt., and more preferably is present in amount of about 0.01 - 2.5%wt. based on the total weight of the gel body.
• the fragrance composition is liquid composition, while in other preferred embodiments the fragrance composition is a solid composition, such as a crystalline material.
• crystalline fragrance materials include thymol, borenol, naphthalene, rosetol, camphor, menthol as well as others known in the art.
• the present inventor has made the surprising observation that during the shrinkage of the gel body, the crystalline material present on the exterior surface of the gel body is particularly pronounced and visible to the naked eye. While not wishing to be bound by the following hypothesis, it is believed that some proportion of the crystalline fragrance material may migrate to the surface of the gel body as it is exposed to an ambient environment and shrinks. The visibility of the crystals may also be due to the growth of the exposed crystals. In any case, the presence of the crystals at the surface of the shrinking gel body provides the particularly beneficial effect in that a greater amount of fragrance is released to the ambient environment, thereby often providing a superior fragrancing benefit than when using a liquid fragrance composition.
• the gel body compositions of the invention may also include one or more optional constituents including, but not limited to, non-aqueous solvents, pH buffering agents, fluorescing agents, optical brighteners, colorants, preservative constituent, germicides, fungicides as well as other optional compositions which may improve the aesthetic or physical characteristics of the gel body. Any such optional constituent may be used, as long as it is chemically compatible with the remaining constituents used to form a gel body. Generally to total amount of these one or more optional constituents does not exceed about 7%wt, preferably does not exceed about 4%wt based on the total weight of the initially formed gel body.
• the gel body includes a preservative constituent.
• the preservative ingredient of the gel body since a significant portion of the formulation comprises water, it is preferably that the preservative be water soluble.
• the selected water soluble preservatives are those which exhibit stability and efficacy in the gel body according to the invention at neutral, but preferably at alkaline pH's especially in the preferred pH ranges noted above.
• Such water soluble preservatives include compositions which include parabens, including methyl parabens and ethyl parabens, glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, 2-bromo-2- nitropropoane- 1 ,3-diol, 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 2-methyl-4- isothiazoline-3-one, and mixtures thereof.
• One exemplary composition is a combination 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one where the amount of either component may be present in the mixture anywhere from 0.001 to 99.99 weight percent, based on the total amount of the preservative.
• a further exemplary commercially available preservative composition is one comprising a mixture of 5- chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isotln ⁇ olin-3-one as marketed under the trademark KATHON® CG/ICP (ex. Rohm and Haas).
• Further useful preservative compositions include KATHON® CG/ICP II, a further preservative composition presently commercially available from Rohm and Haas, PROXEL® which is presently commercially available from Zeneca Biocides (Wilmington, DE), SUTTOCIDE® A which is presently commercially available from Sutton Laboratories (Chatam, NJ) as well as TEXTAMER® 38 AD which is presently commercially available from Calgon Corp.
• a preferred preservative composition useful in the gel body of the present invention is a mixture of metyl-p-benzaldehyde and propyl-p- benzaldehyde which is presently commercially available as Lexgard® M, and Lexgard® P (ex. Inolex Corp.)
• Lexgard® M a preferred preservative composition useful in the gel body of the present invention
• Lexgard® P Ex. Inolex Corp.
• the preservative constituent is present in amounts of up to 0.5 %wt, preferably is present in amounts of 0.05%wt. to 0.15%wt. based on the total weight of the gel body.
• the compositions used to form the gel body includes a precipitating agent which may be used to precipitate the one or more gelling agents during the production of the gel body.
• useful precipitating agents include alkali metal salts especially, sodium, potassium, calcium.
• Other known precipitating agents may also be used.
• One particularly preferred precipitating agent is potassium chloride, which is useful in precipitating carageenan. Such is preferred as the presence of the potassium chloride encourages the formation of the kappa-form of the carageenan polysaccharide molecule. The kappa-form is a particularly strong gel form of carageenan.
• the precipitating agent may be included in any effective amount.
• the precipitating agent is advantageously present in amounts of up to l%wt, preferably is present in amounts of 0.001 to 0.5%wt. based on the total weight of the initial gel body.
• One further advantageous optional constituent is a coloring agent, which may be a pigment, dye or any other material which is found useful to impart a color to the gel body.
• a coloring agent may improve the visual characteristics of the gel body in order to render it more visibly discernable to the consumer, and make it easier to see when the gel body has sufficiently shrunken and exits, or has exited the container via the exit aperture.
• the coloring agent may be included in any effective amount.
• the coloring agent is advantageously present in amounts of up to 1 %wt, preferably is present in amounts of 0.001 to 0.5%wt. based on the total weight of the initial gel body.
• the gel body includes a minor amount of an organic solvent constituent which, if present, is used primarily to aid in the solubilization of the fragrance constituent in the composition used to form the gel body.
• organic solvents which may be included include one or more alcohols, glycols, acetates, ether acetates and glycol ethers.
• exemplary alcohols useful in the compositions of the invention include -Cs alcohols which may be straight chained or branched, and which are specifically intended to include both primary and secondary alcohols.
• Exemplary glycol ethers include those glycol ethers having the general structure R a -O-Rb-OH, wherein Ra is an alkoxy of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or aryloxy of at least 6 carbon atoms, and Rt, is an ether condensate of propylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol having from one to ten glycol monomer units.
• a C 1 -C 4 monohydric alcohol especially one of the various positional isomers of propanol is used to aid in the solubilization of the fragrance constituent.
• the organic solvent constituent may be included in any effective amount.
• the organic solvent constituent is advantageously present in amounts of up to 10 %wt, preferably is present in amounts of 0.1 to 5%wt. based on the total weight of the initial gel body.
• Water forms a major constituent of the gel body according to the invention, and is added in order to provide to 100% by weight of the gel body compositions of the invention.
• the gel body when initially formed, comprises at least 85%w , preferably at least 90% wt. of the total weight of the gel body.
• the water may be tap water, but is preferably distilled and is most preferably deionized water. If the water is tap water, it is preferably substantially free of any undesirable impurities such as organics or inorganics, especially minerals salts which are present in hard water which may thus undesirably interfere with the operation of the constituents present in the gel body compositions according to the invention.
• the device and method of the invention also necessarily includes a container which includes at least one exit aperture and which optionally but preferably includes an entry aperture.
• the container may assume any shape or form, as long as it includes an interior volume which is adapted to receive and retain the gel body, and which includes at least one exit aperture which permits egress from the interior volume.
• the container desirably also includes an entry aperture which is sufficiently large to permit for the introduction of the gel body into the interior volume.
• the container of the device, and gel body are characterized in that when initially introduced into the interior volume of the container, the gel body has a first initial volume which is dimensionally too large to exit from the exit aperture. However, over the passage of time when the gel body is exposed to the ambient air, the gel body shrinks in volume and suffers a reduction in size.
• the gel body sufficiently shrinks and is reduced in volume such that the gel body to exits from the interior volume of the container via the exit aperture and thereby exits the inventive device.
• the exit aperture is positioned with respect to the device such that, when the device is installed, it is downwardly directed.
• the configuration of the inner volume of the device is such that the egress of the shrunken gel body is facilitated as well, such as by including a tapered wall or tapered surface of a reducing diameter or reducing cross sectional area in the proximity of the exit aperture of the device.
• the device 10 includes a container 12 affixed to a hook 14 containing an gel body 16.
• the container 12 has an open end which serves as an entry aperture 18, and an exit aperture 20.
• the size of the entry aperture 18 is sufficiently large to permit for the insertion of the gel body 16 into the interior volume 22 defined by the container 12, while the exit aperture 20 is sufficiently sized to deny the exit of the gel body 16.
• the gel body 16 has been "just formed” and has not undergone any significant degree of shrinkage.
• the hook 14 is adapted to permit the device 10 to be hung from the rim of a toilet bowl so that the container 12 is within its interior, and that the exit aperture 20 is downwardly directed.
• the gel body 16 is too large to fall out of the downwardly directed exit aperture 20.
• the gel body 16 shrinks over time, it will reduce in size/volume and under the influence of gravity, will be sufficiently small and is adapted to fall out from the container 12 via the exit aperture 20.
• the container 12 is formed of perforated material which permits for the passage of fragrance through the sidewall 24 of the container 12 part of the device 10 via perforations 26.
• the fragrance also exits the device through both the entry aperture 18 as well as the exit aperture 20.
• the presence of one or more further perforations 26 though the sidewall 24 of the container 12 particularly permits for the improved delivery of fragrance to the toilet bowl, but also provides a further means wherein the absence, or presence of the gel body 16 within the container 12 can be visually checked.
• FIG. 2 A portion of the device 10 of Figure 1 is illustrated in Fig. 2, specifically a perspective view in of the container 12 looking through the entry aperture 18 and downwardly through the exit aperture 20, without the presence of a gel body 16.
• the diameter (alternately the largest cross-sectional distance) of the exit aperture 20 is lesser than the diameter (alternately the largest cross- sectional distance) of the entry aperture.
• the relative ratios of these dimensions is respectively 1:2 or greater, e.g., 1:2.2, 1:2.5 and the like.
• any useful material of construction may be used to form the inventive devices, with synthetic polymers such as nylon, polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene) as well as polyalkyleneterephalates being several nonlimiting examples of useful thermoplastic synthetic polymers.
• synthetic polymers such as nylon, polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene) as well as polyalkyleneterephalates being several nonlimiting examples of useful thermoplastic synthetic polymers.
• the device may be provided prefilled with a gel body, and may also be further supplied with a cap or cover, preferably non-removeable, which covers the entry aperture 18 which functions to deny the refilling of the device and thus forms a single use device.
• a gel body When a gel body is no longer present in the device, its absence provides a visual indicator that a new gel body needs to be inserted into the device when the device is a refillable device, or that a new device needs to be used to replace the exhausted device, e.g., a single-use device.
• Example 1 A gel body was produced from the following constituents:
• A Preservative: 70%wt. of methyl-p-benzaldehyde and 30%wt. propyl-p- benzaldehyde, commercially available from Inolex Corp.
• a first mixture was produced by introducing approx. 80% of the total amount of water into a conventional laboratory beaker equipped with a laboratory stirrer. The water was at room temperature, and the stirrer was activated to provide a large vortex. Subsequently the preservative was added, and stirring allowed to continue for approximately 5 - 15 seconds. Immediately therafter the caragennan and the carboxymethyl cellulose was sifted into the vortex of the mixing composition. Nisicosity was observed to increase due to the addition of the caragennan and the carboxymethyl cellulose, and high vortex mixing was discontinued. Thereafter, under more moderate stirring conditions directed to ensure good blending of the constituents present, the first mixture was heated to 40 deg.C - 50 deg.C and moderate stirring was allowed to continue for about 45 - 60 minutes.
• the second mixture was added to the first mixture under moderate stirring conditions directed to ensure good blending of the constituents present, to which the fragrance composition was added and the moderate stirring conditions continued to ensure homogenous blending.
• Aliquots of the resultant mixtures were poured into appropriate sized molds within which the resultant mixtures gelled to form the gel body according to the invention.
• the mass of the gel body produced was approx. 30 grams. When gelled, the gel body was removed from the mold; each gel body was self supporting when placed on a horizontal surface.
• a gel body was placed into the interior of a generally frusto-conical container as depicted on Fig. 1 via the entry aperture.
• the container was formed of a synthetic polymeric mesh sheet formed into a frustro-conical shape, and had both an entry aperture, and a smaller exit aperture.
• the container was suspended by a hook so that the exit aperture was downwardly directed. Initially the gel body was retained within the interior of the frusto-conical container but after a period of about one week, the gel body was sufficiently shrunken and fell downwardly out from the interior of the container exiting through the downwardly directed exit aperture.
• Example 2 A further gel body was produced from the following constituents:
• A Preservative: 70%wt. of methyl-p-benzaldehyde and 30%wt. propyl-p- benzaldehyde, commercially available from Inolex Corp.
• B crystalline fragrance material
• a first mixture was produced by introducing approx. 80% of the total amount of water into a conventional laboratory beaker equipped with a laboratory stirrer. The water was at room temperature, and the stirrer was activated to provide a large vortex. Subsequently the preservative was added, and stirring allowed to continue for approximately 5 - 15 seconds. Immediately thereafter the caragennan and the carboxymethyl cellulose was sifted into the vortex of the mixing composition. Nisicosity was observed to increase due to the addition of the caragennan and the carboxymethyl cellulose, and high vortex mixing was discontinued. Thereafter, under more moderate stirring conditions directed to ensure good blending of the constituents present, the first mixture was heated to 40 deg.C — 50 deg.C and moderate stirring was allowed to continue for about 45 - 60 minutes.
• the second mixture was added to the first mixture under moderate stirring conditions directed to ensure good blending of the constituents present, to which the fragrance composition as the form of crystalline thymol was added and the moderate stirring conditions continued to ensure homogenous blending.
• Aliquots of the resultant mixtures were poured into appropriate sized molds within which the resultant mixtures gelled to form the gel body according to the invention.
• the mass of the gel body produced was approx. 30 grams. When gelled, the gel body was removed from the mold; each gel body was self supporting when placed on a horizontal surface.
• a gel body was placed into the interior of a generally frusto-conical container as depicted on Fig. 1 via the entry aperture.
• the container was formed of a synthetic polymeric mesh sheet formed into a frustro-conical shape, and had both an entry aperture, and a smaller exit aperture.
• the container was suspended by a hook so that the exit aperture was downwardly directed. Initially the gel body was retained within the interior of the frusto-conical container but after a period of about one week, the gel body was sufficiently shrunken and fell downwardly out from the interior of the container exiting through the downwardly directed exit aperture.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Disinfection, Sterilisation Or Deodorisation Of Air (AREA)
• Bidet-Like Cleaning Device And Other Flush Toilet Accessories (AREA)
• Cosmetics (AREA)

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  • 2004-05-18 WO PCT/GB2004/002131 patent/WO2004104309A1/en active Application Filing
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