Patent Application
20150013723
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system to mete an amount of a fluid, such as a treating or cleaning fluid, and dispense the fluid to a desired location. The meting system utilizes hydraulic and air pressure equalization in another fluid system having a liquid substance that has a cyclical or intermittent rise and fall in volume or level, such as a toilet tank, to mete the amount of fluid.
2. Description of Related Art
There are numerous known devices for dispensing an amount of fluid to a desired location. Many of these devices rely on mechanical or electrical components to dispense the fluid, including electrical pumping systems, mechanical pumping systems, and rotating feeder systems. Failure of these devices can result from malfunction of the moving parts or disruption of power. Many different applications benefit from periodic dispensing of treating or cleaning fluids, such as toilets and septic systems, swimming pools and spas, industrial cooling towers, and insect control systems. For example, relatively complex spraying devices are commercially available for automatically spraying a cleaning fluid into a toilet bowl. These devices have the disadvantage of requiring a power source and having moving parts that are more susceptible to malfunction. Other devices that do not require power, but still involve moving parts, are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,382 discloses a device that sits on the bottom of a toilet tank and has a float device to regulate air flow when the toilet is flushed to dispense cleaning solution.
Other devices, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,640, do not have moving parts or require power, but are designed for use with solid cleaning chemicals that slowly dissolve upon contact with the water in the toilet tank. The use of solid chemicals dissolved in water may result in varying concentrations of the resulting solution being dispensed. Additionally, many of these types of devices dispense the cleaning fluid directly into the toilet tank, where cleaning is not particularly needed and where the corrosive nature of some cleaning products may damage the internal components of the tank, when it is most desirable to dispense to the toilet bowl where cleaning is desired. It is desirable to have a simple apparatus without moving parts or requiring a power source for operation, to dispense an amount of such cleaning or treating fluids with greater ability to control the concentration of the cleaning or treating fluid in the fluid or water source to which it is dispensed and ability to dispense the cleaning or treating fluid directly to an area to be treated, such as a toilet bowl.
A non-mechanical, non-electrical system according to the invention allows a known or pre-determined amount of cleaning or treating fluid to be dispensed to achieve a given concentration in the fluid or water source being treated. The system is useful in fluid tanks, reservoirs, and fluctuating hydraulic fluid systems, such as a toilet tank, having cyclical or intermittent changes in liquid volume and corresponding changes in gas (usually air) volume. One preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a set of chambers connected together by tubing, one chamber holding a cleaning or treating fluid and the other having a liquid or water level that changes with the changing volume of liquid or water in the fluid tank. Through hydraulic and air pressure equalization, an amount of cleaning or treating fluid is dispensed each time the volume in the fluid tank changes.
According to another preferred embodiment, a second tube connects the chamber holding the cleaning or treating fluid to a desired dispensing location, which is most preferably located remotely from the fluid tank in which the apparatus is used. For example, the second tube may dispense the cleaning or treating fluid directly into a toilet bowl after a flush and as the bowl is filling, which allows for greater residence time of the cleaning or treating fluid within the bowl between flushes and prevents contact between the cleaning or treating fluid and the internal components of the toilet tank, which may cause corrosion or otherwise be damaging to those internal components.
The system of the invention is further described and explained in relation to the following drawings wherein:
Referring to
First chamber 12 and second chamber 14 are preferably cylindrical, but other shapes and varying sizes may be used. Any materials may be used for chambers 12 and 14, but they should be suitable for contact with the liquid (and gas) in the fluid tank in which apparatus 10 will be used. Additionally, the material for chamber 14 should be suitable for the contact with the cleaning or treating fluid it will hold. An opening 26 is disposed at the lower end of chamber 12 to allow fluid communication between the liquid in the tank, reservoir, or other fluid system in which apparatus 10 is to be located and the interior of chamber 12. Opening 26 may be the entire lower end of chamber 12 or it may be a smaller opening in or near a bottom surface of chamber 12. Valves 16 and 18 are disposed on an upper end 30 of chamber 12, with upper end 30 otherwise being sealed. Valves 16 and 18 are one-way valves. Valve 16 is a check valve that permits gas (usually air) from the tank (not depicted) in which apparatus 10 is used to enter chamber 12. Valve 18 permits gas from chamber 12 to enter chamber 14, but prevents backflow of cleaning or treating fluid from chamber 14 into chamber 12 (which is open to the liquid in the tank). Valve 18 is connected to tubing 20 to permit fluid communication of gas from the first chamber 12 to the second chamber 14. Tubing 20 is most preferably made from rigid tubing material, but other materials may be used. Chamber 14 preferably comprises inlet port 32 to connect to tubing 20 and outlet port 34 to connect to tubing 22. Either or both of ports 32 and 34 may be separate parts or may be unitarily molded with chamber 14. Outlet port 34 also connects to tubing 36 that extends to the lower end of chamber 14 so that substantially all of the cleaning or treating fluid may be dispensed over the course of repeated dispensing cycles.
Chamber 14 may also have a removable closure 24 to allow chamber 14 to be opened and periodically re-filled with cleaning or treating fluid. Closure 24 may have other shapes and may form part of a larger removable lid on chamber 14. When a larger lid is used, one or both of ports 32 and 34 may be disposed on the lid or unitarily molded as part of the lid. Various configurations for closure 24 (or the alternative lid), such as twist-off, compression, pop top, heat sealed or sonic welded, may be used. Alternatively, apparatus 10 may be packaged and sold with chamber 14 pre-filled with cleaning or treating fluid and designed so that the entire apparatus 10 is disposed of and replaced with a new apparatus 10 when the volume of fluid in chamber 14 is depleted. Alternatively, chamber 14 may be separately packaged and sold as a pre-filled product that is disposed of when the fluid in chamber 14 is depleted at the end of treatment cycle and replaced with a new chamber 14, with chamber 12 and/or tubing 20 or 22 remaining in the fluid tank for reuse over a number of treatment cycles. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand the various removable closures that may be added to chamber 14 and/or ports 32 and 34 to seal its contents for shipping and sale until it is time to use apparatus 10, as well as quick connect fittings that may aid in connecting chamber 14 to the rest of apparatus 10 if chamber 14 is disposed of at the end of a treatment cycle and replaced with another pre-filled chamber to start a new treatment cycle.
In use, apparatus 10 is preferably placed in a tank (not shown) containing a variable volume of liquid and gas (air), such as a toilet tank. During normal use or operations, the tank varies between a substantially pre-set high level and low level of liquid. Opening 26 in chamber 12 should be located in the tank so that it is below the high liquid level in the tank, so that when the tank is at a high level state, liquid from the tank partially fills chamber 12 through opening 26. However, chamber 12 should be located such that the lower end of valve 18 (disposed inside chamber 12) is not submerged when the tank is at the high level state. Similarly, the upper end of valve 16 should be located above the high liquid level in the tank. In the preferred configuration depicted in
When properly located in the fluid tank, chamber 12 is partially filled with liquid from the tank when in the high level state (such as when the toilet is not being flushed). When the liquid level in the tank drops (such as when the toilet is flushed), the liquid level in chamber 12 also drops and the pressure change causes the space inside chamber 12 between the liquid line and the upper end 30 to fill with gas (usually air) from the tank through valve 16. It is possible that the liquid level in the tank relative to opening 26 would drop low enough that gas may also enter chamber 12 through opening 26. That does not interfere with operation of apparatus 10. When the liquid in the tank rises again, the liquid level in chamber 12 also rises and the pressure causes gas to exit chamber 12 through valve 18, tubing 20, and to enter chamber 14. The air entering chamber 14 displaces the cleaning or treating fluid in chamber 14, causing it to be dispensed through tubing 36, outlet port 34, and tubing 22 to a desired location. When used as a cleaning solution in a toilet tank, tubing 22 preferably dispenses cleaning fluid from chamber 14 directly into the toilet bowl, such as through the refill or overflow tube, rather than into the toilet tank. When used as a treating solution for a septic tank, tubing 22 may dispense the treatment fluid from chamber 14 to a location near the tank flapper so the treatment is flushed from the toilet to the septic tank.
When the pressure equalizes and the liquid in the tank has returned to (or near) the high level state, no further gas is pushed from chamber 12 to chamber 14 and the dispensing of cleaning or treating fluid stops until the next cycle of volume change in the fluid tank. With minor variations, the same amount of cleaning or treating fluid is dispensed from chamber 14 during each cycle. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand how the size of the apparatus, the concentration of cleaning or treating fluid in chamber 14, and/or the operating conditions (such as the variance between the tank's high and low fluid levels) may be modified to alter the amount/volume of cleaning or treating solution dispensed from chamber 14 during each cycle or to alter the concentration of cleaning or treating fluid finally obtained when the dispensed amount is mixed with other liquid receiving the treatment (such as the water in a toilet bowl).
Most preferably, tubing 22 delivers the treatment or cleaning fluid to a location for treatment or cleaning outside of the tank in which apparatus 10 is being used. For example, when used in a toilet tank, tubing 22 preferably delivers the treatment or cleaning fluid directly into the refill or overflow tube so that it is discharged into the toilet bowl at the end of a flush (after the tank is emptied or substantially emptied and the bowl is filling), rather than discharging it inside the toilet tank. This provides several benefits for the system in which apparatus 10 is being used. Two of these benefits are longer residence time for the treatment or cleaning fluid within the discharge area that requires treatment (such as the toilet bowl) and reduced product load necessary to achieve the same functional effect (such as cleaning, treating, disinfecting, and/or air freshening), because the treatment or cleaning fluid is not being flushed out of the system as it would if it were discharged into the tank. This allows for more efficient usage of the cleaning or treating fluids, allowing smaller quantities and/or concentrations of active ingredients to be used and providing a cost savings over prior art systems that put the cleaning or treating fluid into the tank. Another benefit is that it eliminates the contact between the chemicals, biologicals, disinfectants or other cleaners that may be part of the treatment or cleaning fluid and the internal components of the tank in which apparatus 10 is used, as the treatment or cleaning fluid may be corrosive or otherwise damaging to the internal components of the system in which apparatus 10 is used. Although there is brief contact with the interior of the refill or overflow tube, the prolonged contact with the other internal components of the tank that occurs with prior art systems that dispense the cleaner or treatment into the tank is avoided.
It is preferred that chambers 12 and 14 be located in close proximity to each other, but that is not necessary provided the tubing 20 is of sufficient length to connect the two chambers. Additionally, the feed source for supplying fluid to refill the tank in which chamber 12 is disposed may be located remotely from the tank and apparatus 10. The refill fluid may be supplied to the tank by from another tank, pond, lake, municipal water supply or other fluid source by gravity, pump, or other pressurized device. For example, a toilet is typically connected to a pressurized water supply line from a municipal water source. Chambers 12 and 14 may be separate parts or they may be unitarily molded as a single unit. If separate parts, they are preferably supported by a single base or housing unit or are mechanically connected together, such as by strapping, to keep them in close proximity to each other. Apparatus 10 also preferably comprises one or more hanging brackets (no depicted) to allow apparatus 10 to be hung in the fluid tank at the desired level. If chambers 12 and 14 are unitarily molded, mechanically connected or supported by a single base or housing unit, then a single bracket may be used. If they are spaced apart from each other, two brackets may be used. The bracket(s) may have a hook to extend over and hang from the upper lip of the fluid tank, but other attachment or hanging methods may be used as such brackets are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. As the mechanical parts of many toilet tanks are now standardized, the high water level is generally the same distance from the upper lip of the tank for most toilets, so a standard length hanging bracket may be used for most toilet tank installations. But the hanging bracket may be adjustable in length to accommodate use of apparatus 10 in other types of tanks or in non-standard toilet designs to allow proper placement of apparatus 10 relative to the high liquid level in the tank.
Apparatus 10 is particularly useful in toilet tanks and in facilities having multiple toilets, such as hotels, entertainment complexes, public restrooms, homes, and restaurants. Apparatus 10 may also be useful in numerous applications involving fluctuating hydraulic fluid systems other than the toilet tank applications described herein. For example, apparatus 10 may be used to mete: saline additive to a fish tank; additives onto bulk RTU tanks for cleaning machinery; cleaning solutions into mop buckets; fuel additives for fuel tanks of various types of machines, military tanks, airplanes, vehicles, motorcycles, boats, trains, mining equipment; chlorine/bromine additive or pH modifiers into swimming pools and spas; liquid foods sources for green houses; anti-freeze additive for automotive windshield washer reservoirs; CIP solutions for food processing/cooking tanks; food/medicinal additives to livestock watering troughs; insecticide solutions to inset control systems; flavor additives to beverage products; treatments for cooling towers; industrial/retail cleaning additives into water for bulk RTU products. References herein to the system in which apparatus 10 is used or located include those systems in which part of apparatus 10 is used or located, as chamber 12 may be located remotely from chamber 14 and references herein to a tank in which chamber 12 or any other part of system 10 are disposed include other structures, such as a reservoir, capable of holding a volume of liquid and include any type of system having a varying volume of liquid and gas. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate upon reading this specification and the description of preferred embodiments herein that modifications and alterations to the device may be made within the scope of the invention and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventors are legally entitled.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/843,605 filed on Jul. 8, 2013.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61843605 | Jul 2013 | US |
