Liquid dispensing toilet rim mounted toilet bowl cleaner

• US 6,178,564 B1
• Filed: 12/14/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Fahy, Cathal L., Leonard, Stephen B., Aberegg, Dale, Moodycliffe, Timothy I., Plessinger, Jack W., Breiding, Greg S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Khoa D.
• Application Number:
  US09/460,570
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 423/1, 423/0, 422/71, 422/74, 422/75, 422/76, 422/3, 422/4, 422/2, 222/156, 222/157
• US Class Current: 4/223
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/032 Devices connected to or dispensing into the bowl

Abstract

A liquid dispenser for dispensing a liquid from the rim of a toilet bowl such that a controlled, consistent amount of liquid is dispensed into each flush is disclosed. The liquid dispenser includes a bottle for holding the liquid, a base for holding the bottle and for providing a liquid feed conduit between the bottle and a dispensing plate, and a hook for suspending the base from the rim of the toilet bowl. The dispensing plate is integral with or attached to the base, and serves to distribute liquid from the feed conduit to a dispensing position on the upper surface of the dispensing plate where the liquid is contacted by flushing water from the toilet bowl. The dispensing plate has various configurations that assist in the distribution of the liquid to the dispensing position on the upper surface of the dispensing plate. In a preferred version of the liquid dispenser, the dispensing plate has capillary channels in its upper surface for distributing the liquid from the feed conduit to the dispensing position.

Claims

1. A liquid dispensing device for suspension from a structure, the device comprising:

a bottle for holding a liquid, the bottle having a mouth and a closure for covering the mouth;

a base for holding the bottle, the base having a piercing post defining a feed conduit, means for opening the closure of the bottle and for placing the feed conduit in fluid communication with the mouth of the bottle, and a dispensing plate, the dispensing plate having an upper surface including a plurality of feed channels in fluid communication with the feed conduit of the base, the feed channels being suitable to convey the liquid from the feed conduit to a dispensing position on the upper surface of the dispensing plate wherein;

the upper surface of the dispensing plate has a collecting cavity in fluid communication with the feed conduit of the base and in fluid communication with the plurality of feed channels; and

wherein at least a portion of the feed channels have a lower surface that is inclined downwardly with respect to a lower surface of the collecting cavity; and

suspension means for suspending the base from the structure.

2. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein:

the suspension means comprise a suspension hook and a guide channel integral with the base, the suspension hook having a lower end, the suspension hook being slidably inserted in the guide channel such that the lower end of the suspension hook engages an inner surface of the guide channel.

3. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein:

the piercing post has a cylindrical tubular section, and the means for opening the closure of the bottle comprises an obliquely truncated end portion of the tubular section.

4. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein:

the closure member comprises a frangible seal that is configured to be broken in use by pressing the frangible seal against an end portion of the feed conduit.

5. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein:

the base holds the bottle such that the bottle is supported in an inverted position with the mouth projecting downwardly such that the liquid can be dispensed from the bottle by gravity.

6. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein

the upper surface of the dispensing plate has a venting slot in fluid communication with the collecting cavity and an edge of the base, the venting slot permitting ambient air to enter the bottle to displace liquid dispensed therefrom.

7. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of the feed channels have a depth greater than the depth of the collecting cavity.

8. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of the feed channels have a depth that descends in a step-wise fashion in relation to the depth of the collecting cavity.

9. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein

the feed channels radiate outward from the collecting cavity.

10. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein:

the bottle has a view stripe extending vertically on a portion of the bottle, the view stripe being suitable for transmitting light from outside the bottle to inside the bottle.

11. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein:

the dispensing plate is inclined with respect to a vertical wall of the base.

12. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein:

the dispensing plate includes a deflector secured to an edge of the dispensing plate.

13. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein:

the device is a liquid dispenser for dispensing a liquid from the rim of a toilet bowl.

14. The liquid dispensing device of claim 13, wherein:

the dispensing plate includes a deflector secured to an edge of the dispensing plate, the deflector being dimensioned so as to be suitable to contact an inner surface of the toilet bowl when the liquid dispenser is installed on the rim of the toilet bowl.

15. The liquid dispensing device of claim 13, wherein:

the dispensing plate is suitable to be upwardly inclined with respect to an inner surface of the toilet bowl when the liquid dispenser is installed on the rim of the toilet bowl.