Urinal splash guard employing flexible bristles

• US 20070266486A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ed Ramirez
• Original Assignee: Ed Ramirez
• Inventors: Ramirez, Ed
• Granted Patent: US 8,856,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 4/309
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 13/00 Urinals without flushing devices A47K11/00 ; Means for connecting the urinal to the flushing pipe and the wastepipe; Splashing shields for urinals
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 13/005 Accessories specially adapted for urinals
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/00 Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories hand tools for cleaning the toilet bowl A47K11/10; seats or covers for closets A47K13/00; body supports, other than seats for closets A47K17/02; devices for preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10 ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells cleaning, disinfecting or deodorising the seat A47K13/30

Abstract

A mat or other object for attenuating reflective spray during use of a urinal comprises a urine impingement region that includes a plurality of upstanding, flexible bristles. In one embodiment, each of the bristles: has an appropriate thickness and flexibility configured to flex when struck by a typical stream of urine, wherein adjacent bristles are separated from one another by a distance such that the typical stream of urine contacting a bristle and causing it to flex will also contact at least two adjacent bristles and cause them to flex as well; has a thickness and a height, wherein the thickness of each is less than one fifth of its height, and further wherein each bristle has at least three adjacent bristles within a distance of two times its thickness from it; is elongated, and the bristles are configured densely enough that an imaginary circle having a radius equal to a stream of urine'"'"'s mean radius, centered on a given bristle, and drawn on the upper surface will include at least three other bristles within its boundary; or any combination of these. In some embodiments, the plurality of bristles that compose a urine retention region has an ordered arrangement, while in others plurality of bristles has a disordered arrangement.

Claims

1. A mat for attenuating reflective spray during use of a urinal, comprising:

a. a body configured for placement within a urinal, the body including a sheet-like substrate having a plurality of drain holes formed therethrough and an upper surface including a urine impingement region that includes a plurality of upstanding, flexible bristles, each configured to flex when struck by a typical stream of urine, wherein adjacent bristles are separated from one another by a distance such that the typical stream of urine contacting a bristle and causing the bristle to flex will also contact at least two adjacent bristles and cause them to flex as well.

2. The mat of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises:

i. a lower surface configured to rest on a surface of the urinal, and

ii. a hollowed volume disposed between the lower surface and the upper surface and configured to accept a urinal cake.

3. The mat of claim 2, further comprising a retaining member configured to couple with the body and retain the urinal cake within the hollowed volume.

4. The mat of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bristles are arranged within the urine impingement region in an ordered array.

5. The mat of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bristles are disposed within the urine impingement region in a disordered arrangement.

6. The mat of claim 1, further comprising a semi-cylindrical cap structure, configured to accept a urinal cake, the structure comprising:

a. a lid surface that includes a second urine impingement region that includes a second plurality of upstanding, flexible bristles, each configured to flex when struck by a typical stream of urine, wherein adjacent bristles are separated from one another by a distance such that the typical stream of urine contacting a bristle and causing it to flex will also contact at least two adjacent bristles and cause them to flex as well; and

b. a lower edge configured to mate with a urinal cake retention region on the upper surface of the body, thereby permitting retention of a urinal cake therebetween.

7. A mat for attenuating reflective spray during use of a urinal, comprising:

a. a body configured for placement within a urinal, the body including includes an upper surface with a plurality of drain holes formed therethrough, the upper surface comprising a urine impingement region that includes a plurality of upstanding bristles, each having a thickness and a height, wherein the thickness of each is less than one fifth of the height of the bristle, and further wherein each bristle has at least three adjacent bristles within a distance of two times its thickness from it.

8. The mat of claim 7, wherein the body further comprises:

i. a lower surface configured to rest on a surface of a urinal in which the mat is placed, and

ii. a hollowed volume disposed between the lower surface and the upper surface and configured to accept a urinal cake.

9. The mat of claim 8, further comprising a retaining member configured to couple with the body and retain the urinal cake within the hollowed volume.

10. The mat of claim 7, wherein the plurality of bristles are arranged within the urine impingement region in an ordered array.

11. The mat of claim 7, wherein the plurality of bristles are disposed within the urine impingement region in a disordered arrangement.

12. The mat of claim 7, further comprising a semi-cylindrical cap structure, configured to accept a urinal cake, the structure comprising:

a. a lid surface that includes a second urine impingement region that includes a second plurality of upstanding bristles, each having a thickness and a height, wherein the thickness of each is less than one fifth of its height, and further wherein each bristle has at least three adjacent bristles within a distance of two times its thickness from it; and

b. a lower edge configured to mate with a urinal cake retention region on the upper surface of the body, thereby permitting retention of a urinal cake therebetween.

13. A mat for placement in a urinal and configured to attenuate reflective spray from a stream of urine having a mean radius impinging thereon, the comprising:

a. a body having a plurality of drain holes formed therethrough and also having an upper surface that includes a plurality of elongated, upstanding, flexible bristles configured densely enough that an imaginary circle having a radius equal to the stream of urine'"'"'s mean radius, centered on a given bristle, and drawn on the upper surface will include at least three other bristles within its boundary.

14. The mat of claim 13, wherein the body further comprises:

i. a lower surface configured to rest on a surface of a urinal in which the mat is placed, and

ii. a hollowed volume disposed between the lower surface and the upper surface and configured to accept a urinal cake.

15. The mat of claim 14, further comprising a retaining member configured to couple with the body and retain a urinal cake within the hollowed volume.

16. The mat of claim 13, wherein the plurality of bristles are arranged within the urine impingement region in an ordered array.

17. The mat of claim 13, wherein the plurality of bristles are disposed within the urine impingement region in a disordered arrangement.

18. The mat of claim 13, further comprising a cylindrical cap structure, configured to accept a urinal cake and having:

a. a lid surface that includes a second urine impingement region that includes a second plurality of elongated, upstanding, flexible bristles configured densely enough that an imaginary circle having a radius equal to the stream of urine'"'"'s mean radius, centered on a given bristle, and drawn on the upper surface will include at least three other bristles within a boundary of the circle; and

b. a lower edge configured to mate with a urinal cake retention region on the body, thereby permitting retention of a urinal cake therebetween.

19. A method of attenuating splashing caused by a stream of urine with a mean radius impinging on a urinal, comprising:

a. intercepting the stream of urine with a urine impingement region of an object disposed within the urinal, the urine impingement region comprising a plurality of upstanding, flexible bristles, each configured to flex when struck by a typical stream of urine, wherein adjacent bristles are separated from one another by a distance such that the typical stream of urine contacting a bristle and causing it to flex will also contact at least two adjacent bristles and cause them to flex as well; and

b. draining urine from the urine impingement region through an aperture.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising directing urine from the urine impingement region onto a urinal cake.

21. A method of attenuating splashing caused by a stream of urine with a mean radius impinging on a urinal, comprising:

a. intercepting the stream of urine with a urine impingement region of an object disposed within the urinal, the urine impingement region comprising a plurality of upstanding bristles, each having a thickness and a height, wherein the thickness of each is less than one fifth of a height of each bristle, and further wherein each bristle has at least three adjacent bristles within a distance of two times its thickness from it; and

b. draining urine from the urine impingement region through an aperture.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising directing urine from the urine impingement region onto a urinal cake.

23. A method of attenuating splashing caused by a stream of urine with a mean radius impinging on a urinal, comprising:

a. intercepting the stream of urine with a urine impingement region of an object disposed within the urinal, the urine impingement region comprising a plurality of elongated, upstanding, flexible bristles configured densely enough that an imaginary circle having a radius equal to a mean radius of a stream of urine, centered on a given bristle, and drawn on the upper surface will include at least three other bristles within a boundary of the circle; and

b. draining urine from the urine impingement region through an aperture.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising directing urine from the urine impingement region onto a urinal cake.