Patent Application
20150128336
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is toilet cleaning by dispensing liquid cleaner/deodorizers into the toilet bowl. In special, the present invention deals with a dispensing system having a dispenser container outside a flushing water tank, whereas the cleaning agent or material is first dispensed in the tank.
2. Description of Related Art
Toilets need ongoing maintenance to remove unsightly rings and mineral deposits created in the bowl. In addition, unpleasant odors are generated by toilet use. Solid block cleaners are hanged on the bowl rim for releasing some cleaning material every time the toilet is used. However, solid block cleaners have several drawbacks. They have no adequate control that every bowl has the same amount of cleaner. Also, they require contact with the cleaning material.
It is disclosed according to preferred embodiments of the present invention a system for dispensing a cleaning fluid into a toilet bowl adapted to receive a flushing liquid from a tank. The system includes a cleaning fluid container positioned outside the tank and communicating with the tank, and a valve controlling fluid passage from the container into a flushing liquid filling the tank at a varying level. The valve has a closed state blocking fluid passage thereof, and an open state enabling fluid passage thereof. The valve switches between the closed and open states in accordance with the varying level.
In some embodiments, a conduit communicates the container with the valve, receives the cleaning fluid from the container, and releases the cleaning fluid to the flushing liquid through the valve.
In some embodiments, a bottle base is attached to the tank for receiving a mouth end of a dispenser bottle or container while supporting a body thereof. Preferably, the dispenser bottle has a diaphragm for sealing the dispenser bottle and the system includes a punching pin for punching the diaphragm while the dispenser bottle is brought into the bottle base. Thus, the pin enables a flow of a cleaning fluid out of the dispenser bottle.
In some embodiments, the valve is controlled by a float connected to the valve.
Preferably, means are used for tuning an extent of opening of the valve in the open state. Preferably, a lever enables control of the valve by the float. Most preferably, a slide valve is operated by the lever. Alternatively, the slide valve is actuated directly by the float.
In some embodiments, the container contains a cleaning liquid or a granular cleaning fluid.
In some embodiments, a water supply line that provides flushing water to the tank affects dispensing of the cleaning fluid only by affecting the level of flushing liquid in the tank.
It is disclosed according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, a method for dispensing a cleaning fluid into a toilet bowl adapted to receive a flushing liquid from a tank. The method includes placing outside the tank a cleaning fluid container communicating with the tank, and installing a valve having a closed state blocking fluid passage from the container into a flushing liquid filling the tank at a varying level and an open state enabling fluid passage thereof. The valve switches between the closed and open states in accordance with the varying level of flushing liquid in the tank. Thus, actions affecting the varying level control the fluid passage thereof.
In some embodiments, the method includes installing a conduit communicating the container with the valve, receiving by the conduit of the cleaning fluid from the container, and releasing the cleaning fluid by the conduit of through the valve to the flushing liquid.
In some embodiments, the method includes attaching a bottle base to the tank for receiving a mouth end of a dispenser bottle while supporting a body thereof. Preferably, the dispenser bottle has a diaphragm for sealing the dispenser bottle. The pin punches the diaphragm while the dispenser bottle is brought into the bottle base. Thus, a cleaning fluid is poured out of the dispenser bottle.
In some embodiments, the method includes tuning an extent of opening of the valve in the open state.
In some embodiments, the valve is controlled by a float connected to the valve. Preferably, the float controls the valve by a lever connected thereof.
In some embodiments, a water supply line provides flushing water to the tank, and it affects dispensing of the cleaning fluid only by affecting the varying level.
The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to system organization and method of operation, together with features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanied drawings in which:
a shows a dispenser bottle brought into a bottle base.
b shows the dispenser bottle after being punched by a punching pin.
a depicts a slide valve actuated by a lever connected to a float in a close state.
b depicts the slide valve of
The present invention will now be described in terms of specific example embodiments. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the example embodiments disclosed. It should also be understood that not every feature of the methods and systems handling the described device is necessary to implement the invention as claimed in any particular one of the appended claims. Various elements and features of devices are described to fully enable the invention.
Before explaining several embodiments of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The systems, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.
In the description and claims of the present application, each of the verbs “comprise”, “include” and “have”, and conjugates thereof, are used to indicate that the object or objects of the verb are not necessarily a complete listing of members, components, elements or parts of the subject or subjects of the verb.
A bottle base 125 is attached to tank 105 for receiving a mouth end 205 of a container or dispenser bottle 110 while supporting a body 210 of bottle 110, as shown in
Inside tank 105, conduit 120 is closed by valve 115. As shown in
Lever 305 is connected to float 310 by a long screw 325 threaded into float 310. Turning a head 330 of screw 325 tunes the extent of opening of valve 115 in the open state. The combination of a well defined volume for receiving cleaning fluid in conduit 120 and the possibility to rotate screw 325 provides repeatability and control of the amount of cleaning fluid released to the flushing liquid each time that valve 115 opens.
It is noted that a water supply line 335, that provides flushing water to the tank, affects dispensing of the cleaning fluid only by affecting level 315 of flushing liquid in the tank.
Alternative float-valve sub-system is shown in
Referring now to method 500 of
The flow chart of
Method 500 includes a step 520 of installing a conduit 120 which communicates bottle 110 with a valve 115, a step 525 of bottle 110 pouring a cleaning fluid, and a step 530 of conduit 120 receiving the poured cleaning fluid.
Method 500 further includes a step 535 of installing a valve 115 having a closed state blocking fluid passage from container 110 into a flushing liquid filling tank 105 at a varying level 315, and an open state enabling fluid passage thereof.
Method 500 also includes a step 540 of tuning the extent of opening of valve 115 in the open state. Valve 115 switches between the closed and open states in accordance with varying level 315 of flushing liquid in the tank, as sensed by a float 310 or a float 415. Thus, method 500 includes a step 545 of controlling valve 115 by float 310 or 415. Thus, actions affecting varying level 315 control the passage of the cleaning fluid between conduit 120 and the flushing liquid in tank 105. Such an action is pressing an appropriate button for flushing the toilet bowl after its use.
Method 500 further includes a step 550 of a lever enabling control of valve 115 by float 310, and a step 555 of conduit 120 releasing the cleaning fluid to the flushing liquid.
A water supply line 335 provides flushing water to the tank. Method 500 also include the negative step 560 that line 335 does not affect dispensing of the cleaning fluid directly, as it affects the dispensing only indirectly by affecting varying level 315.
Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. In particular, the present invention is not limited in any way by the examples described.
