U.S. patent application number 13/804686 was filed with the patent office on 2014-03-20 for urinal screen.
The applicant listed for this patent is IMPACT PRODUCTS, LLC. Invention is credited to Stephen A. Dukes, Jeffrey C. Gayer, Robert James Hayes, John T. Irwin, Donald James Staufenberg.
Application Number | 20140075663 13/804686 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50272901 |
Filed Date | 2014-03-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140075663 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Irwin; John T. ; et
al. |
March 20, 2014 |
URINAL SCREEN
Abstract
A urinal screen including a body having a plurality of openings
formed therein and a frame disposed around at least a portion of
the body, the frame having a substantially concave shape. The
urinal screen is adapted to be positioned in a substantially
upright position in the urinal with a first end of the urinal
screen adjacent a bottom of the urinal and a second end of the
urinal screen adjacent a rear surface of the urinal,
Inventors: |
Irwin; John T.; (Sylvania,
OH) ; Dukes; Stephen A.; (North Baltimore, OH)
; Hayes; Robert James; (Westerville, OH) ;
Staufenberg; Donald James; (Dublin, OH) ; Gayer;
Jeffrey C.; (Sylvania, OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
IMPACT PRODUCTS, LLC |
Toledo |
OH |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50272901 |
Appl. No.: |
13/804686 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61700926 |
Sep 14, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/292 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/237 20150115;
A61L 9/12 20130101; E03D 13/005 20130101; E03C 1/264 20130101; A47G
27/0206 20130101; A61L 2/00 20130101; Y10T 428/23 20150115; E03D
9/007 20130101; E03D 13/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/292 |
International
Class: |
E03C 1/264 20060101
E03C001/264 |
Claims
1. A urinal screen, comprising: a body including a plurality of
openings; and a frame disposed around at least a portion of the
body, the frame having a substantially concave shape; wherein the
urinal screen is configured to be positioned in a substantially
upright position in a urinal with a first end of the urinal screen
positioned adjacent a bottom of the urinal and a second end of the
urinal screen positioned adjacent a rear surface of the urinal.
2. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein the body is produced from
at least one of polyester, plastic, and rubber and is formed in a
latticework configuration.
3. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein the body has a
substantially parabolic cylinder shape.
4. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein each opening is hexagonal
in shape.
5. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein each opening has a maximum
width of between about 0.5 and 1.0 millimeters.
6. The urinal screen of claim 1, wherein each opening has a first
width adjacent a front side of the body that is greater than a
second width adjacent a back side of the body.
7. The urinal screen of claim 6, wherein the urinal screen includes
at least one support structure adapted to space the urinal screen
outwardly from the rear surface of the urinal.
8. The urinal screen of claim 7, wherein the at least one support
structure is about 0.25 inches long.
9. A urinal screen, comprising: a body formed from a polyester mesh
material; a frame disposed around at least a portion of the body,
the frame having a substantially concave shape; and at least one
support structure adapted to space the urinal screen outwardly from
a rear surface of a urinal; wherein the urinal screen is configured
to be positioned in a substantially upright position in the urinal
with a first end of the urinal screen positioned adjacent a bottom
of the urinal and a second end of the urinal screen positioned
adjacent a rear surface of the urinal.
10. The urinal screen of claim 9, wherein openings formed in the
mesh material have a hexagonal shape.
11. The urinal screen of claim 10, wherein each of the openings has
a maximum width of between about 0.5 and 1.0 millimeters.
12. The urinal screen of claim 10, wherein each of the openings has
a first width adjacent a front side of the body that is greater
than a second width adjacent a back side of the body, and an
intermediate width that decreases from the first width to the
second width, and wherein each of the openings diffuse a stream of
urine from a user.
13. The urinal screen of claim 9, wherein the polyester mesh
material has an elasticity that absorbs a force exerted by a stream
of urine from a user.
14. The urinal screen of claim 9, wherein the at least one support
structure is about 0.25 inches long.
15. A urinal screen, comprising: a body including a plurality of
screening elements; a frame disposed around at least a portion of
the body, the frame having a substantially concave shape; and at
least one support structure adapted to space the urinal screen
outwardly from a rear surface of a urinal; wherein the urinal
screen is configured to be positioned in a substantially upright
position in the urinal with a first end of the urinal screen
positioned adjacent a bottom of the urinal and a second end of the
urinal screen positioned adjacent the rear surface of the
urinal.
16. The urinal screen of claim 15, wherein each of the screening
elements has a substantially concave shape.
17. The urinal screen of claim 15, wherein each of the screening
elements is one of a vertical slat, a louver, a rib, or a rod.
18. The urinal screen of claim 15, wherein each of the screening
elements is made from one of polyester, plastic, and rubber.
19. The urinal screen of claim 15, wherein each of the screening
elements has a first width adjacent a front of the screening
element that is less than a second width adjacent a back side of
the screening element, and an intermediate width that increases
from the first width to the second width.
20. The urinal screen of claim 15, wherein the at least one support
structure is about 0.25 inches long.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/700,926, filed Sep. 14, 2012, the entire
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a urinal screen, and more
specifically to a urinal screen used to minimize urine and water
back-splash resulting from use of a urinal,
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A urinal often includes a urinal screen to perform various
functions. First, the urinal screen may be used to receive and
direct a user's stream of urine into a drain of the urinal. The
urinal screen may also prevent debris from entering and clogging
the waste drain of the urinal, Furthermore, the urinal screen may
provide a means for deodorizing or scenting an area surrounding the
urinal. For example, the urinal screen may hold a block of
deodorant for freshening and sanitizing the urinal between uses, or
the urinal screen may be formed by a fragrancing material, such as
the material described in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.
61/700,926. Finally, the urinal screen may hide a collection of
urine that has not drained from the urinal.
[0004] One particular problem that occurs when using the urinal is
that there is typically a significant amount of urine back-splash
that occurs when the user's urine stream makes contact with either
the urinal or the urinal screen. Many urinal screens have been
constructed to address this problem, however, those urinal screens
are often not very effective at minimizing the urine back-splash.
As a result, the user may end up with urine and/or toilet water on
his skin or clothing, and the floor area around the urinal may
quickly become slippery, soiled, and unsanitary.
[0005] It is desirable to have a urinal screen that militates
against a urine back-splash, is effective at deodorizing the urinal
and surrounding area, and that fits securely into various urinals
having different shapes and sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Consonant with the present disclosure, a urinal screen that
militates against a urine back-splash, is effective at deodorizing
the urinal and surrounding area, and that fits securely into
various urinals having different shapes and sizes, has surprisingly
been discovered.
[0007] In one embodiment of the disclosure, a urinal screen
including a body having a plurality of openings and a frame
disposed around at least a portion of the body, the frame having a
substantially concave shape, is disclosed. The urinal screen is
configured to be positioned in a substantially upright position in
a urinal with a first end of the urinal screen positioned adjacent
a bottom of the urinal and a second end of the urinal screen
positioned adjacent a rear surface of the urinal.
[0008] In another embodiment of the disclosure, a urinal screen
including a body formed from a polyester mesh material, a frame
disposed around at least a portion of the body, the frame having a
substantially concave shape, and at least one support structure
adapted to space the urinal screen outwardly from the a rear
surface of a urinal is described. The urinal screen is configured
to be positioned in a substantially upright position in the urinal
with a first end of the urinal screen positioned adjacent a bottom
of the urinal and a second end of the urinal screen positioned
adjacent a rear surface of the urinal.
[0009] In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, a urinal screen
including a body including a plurality of screening elements, a
frame disposed around at least a portion of the body, the frame
having a substantially concave shape, and at least one support
structure adapted to space the urinal screen outwardly from a rear
surface of a urinal is disclosed. The urinal screen is configured
to be positioned in a substantially upright position in the urinal
with a first end of the urinal screen positioned adjacent a bottom
of the urinal and a second end of the urinal screen positioned
adjacent the rear surface of the urinal.
DRAWINGS
[0010] The above, as well as other advantages of the present
disclosure, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the
art from the following detailed description, particularly when
considered in the light of the drawings described hereafter.
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a front elevational view of a urinal screen
according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view
of the urinal screen depicted in FIG. 1 within circle 2;
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of a urinal screen
according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the urinal screen
taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a front perspective view of the urinal screen
of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 6 shows a front perspective view of the urinal screen
of FIG. 1 disposed in a urinal in a first position; and
[0017] FIG. 7 shows a front perspective view of the urinal screen
of FIG. 1 disposed in a urinal in a second position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The following detailed description and appended drawings
describe and illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the
invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled
in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to
limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
[0019] FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a urinal screen 10 according to one
embodiment of the disclosure. The urinal screen 10 includes a frame
12 and a body 14. The urinal screen 10 is configured to be placed
in a urinal to militate against a back-splash from a stream of
urine from a user.
[0020] The frame 12 is produced from a material such as plastic,
metal, or rubber, for example, and may be hollow or solid. The
material is typically a substantially rigid material but in certain
embodiments the frame 12 may have a degree of flexibility. The
frame 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in certain
embodiments of the disclosure, as shown in FIGS. I and 5-7.
However, any shape may be used such as an oval shape, for example,
or the frame 12 may be asymmetrical. The frame 12 may have an
arcuate or substantially concave shape, as shown in FIG. 5, or may
be planar. The generally concave shape may be characterized as one
or more of a segment of a sphere, a segment of an ellipsoid, a
segment of an oblate spheroid, a segment of a prolate spheroid, an
elliptic or hyperbolic paraboloid, a parabolic cylinder, a
hyperbolic cylinder, and a lune, for example. In certain
embodiments where the frame 12 includes one or more corners 16,
each corner 16 may have a rounded or arcuate shape or may have a
squared corner. A cross-section of the frame 12 may be any shape
such as cylindrical, rectangular, or asymmetrical, for example. The
cross-section of the frame 12 may also have a consistent or a
variable thickness. The frame 12 is adapted to be disposed in the
urinal in a substantially upright position. The frame 12 may also
include one or more internal frame components or cross members (not
shown) such as one or more frame elements extending across the body
14 from one end of the frame to another end of the frame, for
example.
[0021] One or more support structures or legs 18 may be disposed on
one or more portions of the frame 12, as shown in FIG. 5. Each of
the support structures 18 typically extends laterally outwardly
from a back side of the frame 12 and is configured to contact the
urinal when in use. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, each of the
support structures 18 may be disposed adjacent one or more of the
corners 16 of the frame 12. The support structures 18 may be
disposed adjacent a pair of upper corners 22 and/or a pair of side
corners 24 in certain embodiments in order to accommodate urinals
having different shapes and configurations (see FIGS. 6 and 7). In
certain embodiments, each of the support structures 18 has a length
of about 0.25 inches in order to space the urinal screen 10
outwardly from the urinal. The length of each of the support
structures 18 may be greater than or less than 0.25 inches, as
desired. A thickness, a cross-sectional shape, and an overall shape
of each of the support structures 18 may vary according to
different embodiments. Each of the support structures 18 may be
permanently or removeably connected to the frame 12, or may be
formed integral with the frame 12.
[0022] The body 14 is formed in a latticework or mesh configuration
in certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The body 14 may
be produced from any mesh material such as polyester or other
fabric, or may be made from a material such as metal, plastic, or
rubber, for example. Typically, the body 14 produced from a mesh
material has a degree of elasticity and flexibility capable of
absorbing at least a portion of a force or energy exerted by the
stream of urine from the user.
[0023] A plurality of openings 26 may by formed in the body 14. In
certain embodiments, each opening 26 has a hexagonal shape. It is
understood that other shapes may be used, as desired. In certain
embodiments, a width of each opening is about 0.5 millimeters. The
width may be less than or greater than 0.5 millimeters, however,
favorable results have been obtained when the opening is less than
1.0 millimeter. In certain embodiments, each opening 26 has a first
width at a first end that is greater than a second width and a
second end opposite the first end. An intermediate width of each
opening 26 gradually decreases from the first width to the second
width and, as a result, each opening 26 is narrower toward a back
of the body 14 and less narrow toward a front of the body 14. The
first width that is greater than the second width allows for the
stream of urine from the user to be effectively diffused.
[0024] The body 14 is shaped to be received within the frame 12. As
shown, the body 14 has an arcuate or substantially concave shape
like the frame 12, or may be planar. The substantially concave
shape may be characterized as one or more of a segment of a sphere,
a segment of an ellipsoid, a segment of an oblate spheroid, a
segment of a prolate spheroid, an elliptic or hyperbolic
paraboloid, a parabolic cylinder, a hyperbolic cylinder, and a
lune, for example, in certain embodiments. A permanent or removable
connection between the frame 12 and the body 14 may extend along an
inner or an outer perimeter of the frame 12. The connection may be
formed by either a chemical type fastener such as an adhesive, for
example, and/or a mechanical type fastener. Alternatively, the body
14 may have one or more portions that are permanently or removeably
connected to the frame 12 at one or more locations and one or more
portions that are not connected to the frame 12. In certain
embodiments, the body 14 may be formed integral with the frame
12.
[0025] Another embodiment 110 of a urinal screen is illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4. The urinal screen 110 includes a frame 112
substantially similar to the frame 12 as described hereinabove, and
a main body 114. The main body 114 includes a plurality of spaced
apart screening elements 116 such as slats, louvers, ribs, or rods,
for example. The screening elements 116 may be vertically oriented
as shown or otherwise oriented such as horizontally and/or
diagonally, for example. Additionally, the screening elements 116
may be formed in a latticework configuration in certain
embodiments. The screening elements 116 may be made from a material
such as polyester, plastic, certain metals, or rubber, for example.
The screening elements 116 made from a polyester material or the
like may have a degree of elasticity capable of absorbing at least
a portion of the force or energy exerted by the stream of urine
from the user. A cross-sectional shape of the screening elements
116 may be any shape such as circular, rectangular, square,
triangular, or asymmetrical, for example. In certain embodiments, a
first surface 118 of each absorbing element 116 facing away from
the user has a first width that is greater than a second width of a
second surface of each screening element 116 facing towards the
user, as shown in FIG. 4. Having the first width facing away from
the user greater than the second width facing towards the user
militates against back-splash by diffusing the stream of urine from
the user as the stream contacts the urinal screen 110.
[0026] As shown, the screening elements 116 have a curved shape
like the frame 112, or may be planar in certain embodiments. A
permanent or removable connection between the frame 112 and at
least a portion of each screening element 116 may extend along an
inner or an outer perimeter of the frame 112. The connection may be
formed by either a chemical type fastener such as an adhesive, for
example, and/or a mechanical type fastener. In certain embodiments,
each screening element 116 may be formed integral with the frame
112.
[0027] In use, a user places the urinal screen 10 in the urinal.
The position of the urinal screen 10 causes the urine stream of the
user to contact the urinal screen 10 prior to contacting the
urinal. The support structures 18 located along two or more sides
of the urinal screen 10 allow the urinal screen 10 to be set up in
accordance with a specific shape and size of the selected urinal.
Additionally, the support structures 18 space the urinal screen 10
outwardly away from a surface of the urinal, thereby allowing flush
water from the urinal to run down a back of the urinal without
contacting the urinal screen 10 and splashing the user.
[0028] The substantially curved shape of the frame 12 and the body
14 militates against back splash of urine when the urinal screen 10
is in use. Additionally, the parabolic shape allows an unsightly
bottom portion of the urinal to be covered, and allows the urinal
screen 10 to function as a screen to prevent debris from clogging a
urinal drain. The frame 12 provides support for the body 14 and
facilitates maintaining an elasticity or springability of the body
14 in order to facilitate absorbing the force exerted by the urine
stream from the user. The hexagonal shape of the openings and the
decreasing intermediate width of each opening also militate against
the back-splash of urine and direct the urine stream into the
urinal. Likewise, in the alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 3
and 4, the increasing width of the absorbing elements 116 militates
against the back-splash of urine and directs the urine stream into
the urinal.
[0029] The urinal screen 10 may be easily cleaned by spraying the
frame 12 and the body 14 with a disinfectant. The user may replace
the urinal screen 10, as desired.
[0030] A design, logo, advertisement, or other print may be
included on either the frame 12 or the body 14. A design such as a
target, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, may be included on the
body 14 in order to assist the user in aiming the stream of urine
to an area of the urinal screen 10 most effective at militating
against urine back-splash.
[0031] The urinal screen 10 described hereinabove has several
advantages. First, the various support structures 18 allow the
versatile urinal screen 10 to be positioned in various ways
depending on the size and shape of the selected urinal, and prevent
the user from coming in contact with flush water back-splash when
the urinal is flushed by the user. Additionally, the shape and
curvature of the frame 12 and the body 14, and the shape and size
of the openings 26 or absorbing elements 116 also militate against
the urine back-splash by diffusing and directing the stream of
urine into the urinal. Furthermore, in embodiments where a mesh
material is used, the elasticity and flexibility of the mesh
material absorbs at least a portion of the force or energy exerted
by the stream of urine from the user. Overall, this creates a
restroom environment that is more sanitary and more aesthetically
pleasing, and it keeps the user free from flush water and urine
back-splash.
[0032] While certain representative embodiments and details have
been shown for purposes of illustrating the invention, it will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be
made without departing from the scope of the disclosure, which is
further described in the following appended claims.
* * * * *