Urinal screens and assemblies

• US 10,640,959 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Malesky, Jacob Edward, Peterson, Eric Paul, Duhacek, Jeffrey Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Loeppke, Janie M
• Application Number:
  US16/000,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20180347161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 43003
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/01 Deodorant compositions compositions released by contact with a liquid A61L9/05
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/042 with the help of a macromolecular compound as a carrier or diluent A61L9/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/05 specially adapted to be released by contact with a liquid, e.g. for toilets
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/12 Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/264 Separate sieves or similar object-catching inserts
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 13/005 Accessories specially adapted for urinals
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 2009/024 using a solid substance
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/007 Devices for eliminating smells by diffusing deodorants in lavatories
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/02 Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing apparatus for disinfection A61L2/00; treatment of water in general C02F

Abstract

Urinal screens are provided including an outer ring and a web portion bounded by the outer ring and formed from a plurality of web strings disposed in a mesh pattern, such that a plurality of open areas are defined among the web strings. The web portion includes a vaulted portion. Urinal screen assemblies are also provided and include a urinal screen and a bioenzymatic block containing odor combatting chemistry disposed in a void formed by the vaulted portion of the urinal screen.

Claims

1. A urinal screen, comprising:

an outer ring;

a web portion bounded by the outer ring and having a first face and an opposed second face, the web portion comprising a plurality of web strings disposed in a mesh pattern, such that a plurality of open areas are defined among the web strings; and

a plurality of posts projecting from the first face of the web portion,

wherein the web portion comprises a planar portion and a vaulted portion, with the planar portion extending from the outer ring and surrounding the vaulted portion, and

wherein portions of the web strings forming the first face of the web portion are substantially rounded in profile, each of the plurality of posts comprises a substantially rounded tip and a substantially rounded profile, and the vaulted portion has a rounded profile, such that the portions of the web strings forming the first face, the plurality of posts, and the vaulted portion are each effective to reduce splash back of liquid impinging thereon.

2. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein the planar portion and the vaulted portion are integrally formed.

3. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein the vaulted portion comprises a hemisphere or dome.

4. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein the open areas of the web portion have a major dimension of from about 1 mm to about 30 mm in plan view.

5. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of posts has a height of from about 0.5 mm to 1 cm.

6. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein the plurality of web strings comprise a first set of the web strings that are substantially parallel to one another and a second set of the web strings that are substantially parallel to one another and are substantially perpendicular to the first set of web strings.

7. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein the second face comprises an elevational feature configured to elevate at least a portion of the web portion off of a urinal floor, the elevational feature comprising a plurality of posts or ribs projecting from and/or integral with the second face of the web portion.

8. A urinal screen assembly, comprising:

the urinal screen of claim 1; and

a bioenzymatic block containing odor combatting chemistry disposed in a void formed by the vaulted portion.

9. The urinal screen assembly of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of spacer nubs projecting from an inner surface of the vaulted portion, wherein the spacer nubs are effective to space the bioenzymatic block from the web portion.

10. The urinal screen assembly of claim 8, further comprising a cover surrounding the bioenzymatic block.

11. The urinal screen assembly of claim 10, wherein the cover comprises a waterproof upper surface covering an upper surface of the bioenzymatic block to protect the bioenzymatic block from liquids impinging thereon, and a base covering a lower surface of the bioenzymatic block and comprising at least one aperture to permit liquid to contact the bioenzymatic block at its lower surface and thereby release the odor combatting chemistry.

12. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein the plurality of posts are positioned at nodes at which two web strings intersect, at midpoints between adjacent pairs of nodes, or both.

13. A urinal screen, comprising:

an outer ring;

a web portion bounded by the outer ring and having a first face and an opposed second face, the web portion comprising a plurality of web strings disposed in a mesh pattern, such that a plurality of open areas are defined between the web strings, wherein the web portion comprises a vaulted portion defining a concave inner surface; and

an article disposed in the void formed by the vaulted portion, the article comprising a block containing odor combatting chemistry and having an upper surface,

wherein a plurality of spacer nubs project from the concave inner surface of the vaulted portion, the spacer nubs being configured to space the web portion from the upper surface of the article.

14. The urinal screen of claim 13, wherein the web portion comprises a planar portion and a vaulted portion, with the planar portion extending from the outer ring and surrounding the vaulted portion.

15. The urinal screen of claim 14, wherein the planar portion and the vaulted portion are integrally formed.

16. The urinal screen of claim 13, wherein the vaulted portion comprises a hemisphere, a dome, a frustocone, or a cylinder.

17. The urinal screen of claim 13, wherein portions of the web strings forming the first face of the web portion are substantially rounded in profile.

18. The urinal screen of claim 13, wherein the plurality of web strings comprise a first set of the web strings that are substantially parallel to one another and a second set of the web strings that are substantially parallel to one another and are substantially perpendicular to the first set of web strings.

19. The urinal screen of claim 13, wherein the second face comprises an elevational feature configured to elevate at least a portion of the web portion off of a urinal floor, the elevational feature comprising a plurality of posts or ribs projecting from or integral with the second face of the web portion.

20. The urinal screen of claim 13, wherein each of the spacer nubs has a height of from about 1 mm to about 1 cm.

21. The urinal screen of claim 13, wherein the block is a bioenzymatic block containing odor combatting chemistry.

22. The urinal screen of claim 13, wherein the article further comprises a cover surrounding the block, the cover defining the upper surface of the article.