Liquid dispensing toilet bowl cleaner

• US 6,675,396 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Varanasi, Padma Prabodh, Harrity, Kevin, Leonard, Stephen B., Moodycliffe, Timothy I
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Khoa D
• Application Number:
  US10/149,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 422/3, 423/1, 422/4, 422/71, 422/74, 422/75, 422/76, 423/0, 222/88, 222/90, 222/83.5
• 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. 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, downwardly inclined at an angle of from about 10 to about 30 degrees from the horizontal, 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, which has a viscosity of from about 2000 to about 4000 centipoise from the feed conduit to the dispensing position, and a plurality of engagement means by which the bottle is held in position, as well a barrier means and openings to control flow of liquid on the surface of the dispensing plate.

Claims

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

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

mounting structure for holding the bottle, the mounting structure having a piercing post defining a feed conduit having, in use, a bottom wall, 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; and

suspension means for suspending the mounting structure from the support;

wherein the dispensing plate has, in use, an upper surface having a collecting cavity in fluid communication with the feed conduit and in fluid communication with a plurality of feed channels in said dispensing plate, said feed channels being suitable to convey the liquid from the collecting cavity to a dispensing position, which, in use, is on the upper surface of the dispensing plate, said dispensing plate being, in use, downwardly inclined at an angle of at least 5 degrees from the horizontal.

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

the suspension means comprise a suspension hook and a guide channel in the mounting structure, 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 of the bottle comprises a frangible seal configured to be broken by pressing against the end portion of said piercing post.

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

the mounting structure further comprises means for keeping at least a section of said frangible seal off of the end portion of the piercing post after said frangible seal is broken.

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

said means for keeping at least a section of the frangible seal off of the end portion of the piercing post comprises a projection that extends above the end portion of the piercing post.

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

said mounting structure holds and supports said bottle in an inverted position with the mouth of said bottle projecting downwardly, in use, so as to dispense liquid from said bottle by gravity.

8. The liquid dispensing device of claim 7, wherein:

said feed conduit is surrounded by an annular channel having an outer cylindrical wall, the interior of which wall engages the outer surface of the mouth of said bottle, said wall further providing a plurality of means for engaging said dispensing plate, and said dispensing plate, in use, is downwardly inclined at an angle of from about 5 to about 20 degrees from the horizontal.

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

said dispensing plate, in use, is downwardly inclined at an angle of from about 20 to about 30 degrees from the horizontal, and said dispensing plate is spaced apart from the bottom wall of said feed conduit by a riser, said riser having openings therein to permit venting of said bottle.

10. The liquid dispensing device of claim 9, wherein:

said dispensing plate further comprises at least one barrier wall surrounding at least a portion of said collecting cavity.

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

said dispensing plate further comprises at least one drain conduit for draining water from said dispensing plate in the area of said at least one barrier wall.

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

said dispensing plate further comprises a venting slot whereby atmospheric air may enter said bottle to displace liquid dispensed therefrom into the flushing water.

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

said dispensing plate further comprises a vertical post which, in use, extends vertically into the dispensing hole of said bottom wail of said feed conduit to break the surface tension of the liquid being dispensed.

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

said dispensing plate, in use, is inclined downwardly from said collecting cavity to said dispensing position at an angle of from about 10 to 30 degrees from the horizontal, and said liquid has a viscosity of from about 2000 to about 4000 centipoise.

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

said feed channels radiate outwardly from said collecting cavity.

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

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

17. The liquid dispensing device of claim 16, wherein:

said dispensing plate further comprises at least one barrier wall surrounding at least a portion of said collecting cavity.

18. The liquid dispensing device of claim 17, wherein:

said dispensing plate further comprises at least one drain conduit for draining water from said dispensing plate in the area of said at least one barrier wall.

19. The liquid dispensing device of claim 18, wherein:

said dispensing plate further comprises a venting slot whereby atmospheric air may enter said bottle to displace liquid dispensed therefrom into the flushing water.

20. The liquid dispensing device of claim 19, wherein:

said dispensing plate further comprises a vertical post which, in use, extends vertically into the dispensing hole of said bottom wall of said feed conduit to break the surface tension of the liquid being dispensed.

21. The liquid dispensing device of claim 20, wherein:

said bottle has a view stripe which, in use, extends vertically on a portion of the bottle, the view stripe being suitable for transmitting light from outside the bottle to inside the bottle.

22. The liquid dispensing device of claim 21, wherein:

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

23. The liquid dispensing device of claim 22, wherein:

said dispensing plate includes a rim at the perimeter thereof.

24. A device for dispensing a liquid from the rim of a toilet bowl, the device comprising:

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

mounting structure for holding said bottle, said structure comprising a piercing post defining a feed conduit, said piercing post suitable for opening the closure of the bottle and establishing fluid communication between the mouth of the bottle and the feed conduit, means for keeping at least a portion of the closure off of the end portion of the piercing post after said closure is opened, and a dispensing plate; and

suspension means for suspending the mounting structure from the rim of a toilet bowl;

wherein said dispensing plate is, in use, downwardly inclined at an angle of at least 5 degrees from the horizontal and has, in use, an upper surface having a collecting cavity in fluid communication with said feed conduit and in that the liquid has a viscosity between about 2000 and about 4000 centipoise.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein:

said feed conduit further comprises a plurality of means for engaging said dispensing plate and said dispensing plate comprises a plurality of feed channels, the feed channels being suitable to convey the liquid from said collecting cavity to a dispensing position which, in use, is on the upper surface of the dispensing plate.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein:

said feed conduit is surrounded by an annular channel which engages the mouth of the bottle, the exterior wall of said feed conduit providing at least three means for engagement of said dispensing plate.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein:

the feed conduit comprises a lower wall having a dispensing hole therein, said lower wall spaced from said dispensing plate by a riser having openings therein to permit venting of said bottle, and said dispensing plate is, in use, downwardly inclined at an angle of from about 10 to about 30 degrees from the horizontal.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein:

said dispensing plate includes at least one barrier wall surrounding at least a portion of the collecting cavity.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein:

the dispensing plate has a surface tension breaking post which, in use, extends upward from the collecting cavity into the feed conduit.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein:

the dispensing plate includes a rim at the perimeter thereof, and at least one drain conduit extending through the dispensing plate for draining water from said dispensing plate in the area of said at least one barrier wall.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein:

said dispensing plate further comprises a venting slot whereby atmospheric air may enter said bottle to displace liquid dispensed therefrom into the flushing water.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein:

said dispensing plate further comprises a vertical post which, in use, extends vertically into the dispensing hole of said bottom wall of said feed conduit to break the surface tension of the liquid being dispensed.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein:

said bottle has a view stripe which, in use, extends vertically on a portion of the bottle, the view stripe being suitable for transmitting light from outside the bottle to inside the bottle.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein:

at least a portion of the feed channels have a lower surface that is, in use, inclined downwardly with respect to a lower surface of the collecting cavity.

35. The device of claim 29, 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 device is installed on the rim of the toilet bowl, and said dispensing plate is, in use, downwardly inclined at an angle of from about 20 to about 30 degrees from the horizontal.