U.S. patent number 3,867,101 [Application Number 05/394,700] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-18 for toilet cleansing device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to American Home Products Corporation. Invention is credited to Desmond Edward Herring.
United States Patent |
3,867,101 |
Herring |
February 18, 1975 |
TOILET CLEANSING DEVICE
Abstract
The invention provides a device for dispensing a quantity of
water-soluble material to a flushing cistern comprising a container
which has in the lower part thereof the water-soluble material and
within the water-soluble material a tablet containing water-soluble
dyestuff from which dyestuff can be released rapidly when water
reaches the tablet, thereby indicating that the water-soluble
material is exhausted or nearly so.
Inventors: |
Herring; Desmond Edward
(Ipswich, EN) |
Assignee: |
American Home Products
Corporation (New York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
10424353 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/394,700 |
Filed: |
September 6, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 13, 1972 [GB] |
|
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42423/72 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
422/119; 4/227.1;
422/263; 422/274 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03D
9/038 (20130101); C02F 2305/14 (20130101); E03D
2009/024 (20130101); C02F 1/688 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E03D
9/02 (20060101); B01d 011/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;252/90,106
;4/228,226,229-232 ;23/267A ;137/240,268 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Tollberg; Stanley H.
Assistant Examiner: Shannon; John P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Weigman; Joseph Martin
Claims
1. A device for dispensing a quantity of water-soluble material to
a flushing cistern comprising:
A. a container for immersion in the water of a flushing cistern
said container being comprised of an upper part and a lower
non-permeable part;
B. at least one aperture defined in the top of said upper part;
C. at least one aperture defined in the side of said upper
part;
D. a water soluble tablet containing a dyestuff supported at the
bottom of said lower part; said tablet being adapted to permit
rapid solution of the said dyestuff upon contact with water;
E. a water-soluble material selected from the group consisting of
solid and pasty disinfecting and cleaning materials supported in
said lower part covering said tablet;
whereby in use water passing through said apertures first dissolves
and carries away said water soluble material and then dissolves and
carries away the material of said tablet whereby the exhaustion of
said water
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said water-soluble
tablet
3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the disintegrating agent
is
4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the disintegrating agent
is a
5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the solid acid is
selected from the group consisting of oxalic, citric, sulphamic,
ascorbic and tartaric acids and the carbonate or bicarbonate is
selected from the group
6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water-soluble
material is coloured with a dyestuff of a different colour from
that contained in said
7. A device for dispensing a quantity of water-soluble material to
a flushing cistern comprising:
A. a container for immersion in the water of a flushing cistern,
said container being comprised of an upper part and a lower
non-permeable part;
B. a least one aperture defined in the top of said upper part;
C. at least one aperture defined in the side of said upper
part;
D. a first water soluble tablet supported in said upper part said
tablet containing a cleaning agent;
E. a second water soluble tablet containing a first dyestuff
supported at the bottom of said lower part; said tablet being
adapted to permit rapid solution of the said dyestuff upon contact
with water;
F. a water-soluble material selected from the group consisting of
solid and pasty disinfecting and cleaning materials and containing
a second dyestuff, the said water soluble material being supported
in said lower part covering said second tablet;
whereby in use water passing through said apertures first dissolves
and carries away the material of said first tablet thereby
providing an initial cleaning solution and then dissolves and
carries away said water soluble material and then dissolves and
carries away the material of said second tablet whereby the
exhaustion of said water soluble material is
8. A device as in claim 7 wherein said dyestuff in said second
tablet is
9. A device for dispensing a quantity of water-soluble material to
a flushing cistern comprising:
A. a container for immersion in the water of a flushing cistern,
said container being comprised of an upper part and a lower
part;
B. at least one aperture defined in the top of said upper part;
C. at least one aperture defined in the side of said upper
part;
D. a first water soluble tablet supported in said upper part said
tablet containing a cleaning agent and a first dyestuff;
E. a second water soluble tablet containing a second dyestuff
supported at the bottom of said lower part;
F. a water-soluble material selected from the group consisting of
solid and pasty disinfecting and cleaning materials supported in
said lower part covering said second tablet;
whereby water passing through said apertures first dissolves and
carries away the material of said first tablet thereby providing an
initial cleaning solution and an indication of initial activity and
then dissolves and carries away said water soluble material and
then dissolves and carries away the material of said second tablet
whereby the exhaustion of said water soluble material is evidenced.
Description
This invention relates to devices for use in dispensing a quantity
of water-soluble material to a flushing cistern.
Various devices are known for use in dispensing a a quantity of
water-soluble material (such as a detergent and/or disinfectant to
a flushing cistern, as a means of disinfecting or cleaning lavatory
bowls and/or urinals when the cistern is flushed. These devices
usually comprise a container containing the solid or pasty
water-soluble material, the container being adapted to dispense a
quantity of the material to a cistern when immersed in it. The
detergent composition contained within the devices in common use
usually is coloured by means of a dye thereby colouring the water
in the toilet bowl, loss of colour indicating that the detergent
composition has been exhausted and that the device requires
replacement. I have now discovered a particularly effective way of
indicating when the detergent and/or disinfectant medium of such
devices has been exhausted, and means for providing a supplementary
cleaning action. The present invention is applicable to any kind of
device for use in dispensing a quantity of water-soluble material
to a flushing cistern, or to any other water tank.
Accordingly the invention provides a device for dispensing a
quantity of water-soluble material to a flushing cistern comprising
a container for immersion in the water of a flushing cistern, said
container having an upper part with at least one aperture in the
side wall thereof and a lower non-permeable part; said container
having in its lower part water-soluble material selected from the
group consisting of solid and pasty water-soluble disinfecting and
cleaning materials, and in the bottom of said lower part, within
said water-soluble material a readily water-soluble tablet
containing a water-soluble dyestuff, said container being adapted
to permit upon immersion in the water of the flushing cistern, a
quantity of water to flow into the upper part of said container and
dissolve a quantity of said water-soluble material thereby forming
a concentrated solution of said water-soluble material in the upper
part of the container, which solution can flow out of said
container when the cistern is flushed, said tablet being adapted to
rapidly release the dyestuff into the water when said water-soluble
material is exhausted or nearly so, thereby indicating that the
device requires replacement.
Preferably the water-soluble material is also coloured with a
dyestuff of different colour from that contained in the
readily-soluble tablet. In such devices the change of colour
indicates when the water-soluble material is exhausted.
It is preferred that the dyestuff is contained in a tablet capable
of rapid dissolution in water. Such tablets can be made by
techniques which are well-known in the tabletting art. I have found
that a particularly effective material which can be incorporated in
the tablets to ensure a sufficiently high rate of dissolution is
the material known as celutab. Other suitable materials can be
found by reference to standard works on tabletting and include
starch or sugars such as dextrose and lactose.
The tablet may include other materials capable of enhancing the
disintegration rate, e.g., materials which release carbon dioxide
on admixture with water such as mixtures of solid carbonates or
bicarbonates, e.g., those of the alkali metals, especially sodium,
and solid acids. As the solid acid the following may be used,
oxalic, citric, sulphamic, ascorbic and tartaric acids.
It is preferred that the water-soluble material is coloured by
means of a blue dye and the water-soluble dyestuff in the readily
water-soluble tablet is a violet or red dye. However any
combination of colours can be used as desired.
Various dyestuffs can be used, including disulphine blue VN150, or
Rhodamine B extra, or various mixtures of Coomassie Violet 2RS,
Carbolan Yellow, Verdigreen, Solway Green G 150, Naphthol Green
BSN, Tartrazine Yellow N200. As dyestuff in the water-soluble
medium it is preferred to use Rhodamine B extra. However, any other
water-soluble dyestuffs may be used.
As stated above the device of the present invention is primarily
intended for dispensing a quantity of water-soluble detergent
and/or disinfectant. As detergent I prefer to use ethylene oxide
condensates, for example condensates with nonylphenol containing
from 16 to 100, preferably 18 to 35 ethylene oxide residues, with
octylphenol, e.g., containing 16- 100 ethylene oxide residues,
dodecyl phenol-ethylene oxide condensates, for example containing
from 16 to 100 ethylene oxide residues, dinonylphenol-ethylene
oxide condensates containing 20 to 100 ethylene oxide residues;
aliphatic alcohol-ethylene oxide condensates containing from 18 to
100 ethylene oxide residues and in which the alkyl group has from
12 to 20 carbon atoms and may contain an unsaturated link and
ethylene oxide/propylene oxide condensates.
Ethylene oxide condensates of various types, biodegradable in
water, with dissolving rates of 0.1 to 10.0 grams per day may also
be used as the detergent.
In general a convenient detergent is one which is in solid or dense
paste form at room temperature. Preferably the detergent has a
melting point within the range 40.degree.C to 70.degree.C.
If the water-soluble material is or contains a disinfectant this
may conveniently be a chlorinated xylenol, for example
dichlorometaxylenol; a quaternary ammonium salt or
hexachlorophene.
The device may also include a readily soluble cleaning substance
which is contained in a readily water-soluble medium, said medium
being so positioned as to release the cleaning substance
immediately the device is immersed in the cistern. The readily
soluble tablet or cleaning substance also include a perfume, e.g.,
allyl caproate, red thyme oil, eucalyptus, ethyl vanillin, celery
seed oil, gamma decalactone, cinnamon, methyl salicilate or methyl
.beta.-methyl thiopropionate.
The cleaning substance may be used in high concentration since it
will remain in contact with the cistern only until the cistern is
flushed. Thus a rapid and concentrated cleaning action will be
provided in the lavatory bowl shortly after the device is immersed.
Preferably the cleaning substance is oxalic acid. This procedure
has the advantage that the lavatory bowl can be automatically given
a concentrated cleaning action every time a new device is
installed. The fact that the cleaning substance will be dissolved
substantially completely and used at one flushing of the cistern
enables one to use a higher concentration than could be permitted
to remain permanently in contact with the cistern due to the
necessity of avoiding corrosion problems.
The cleaning substance may be coloured by a dyestuff, Any normal
anionic or cationic dyestuffs of which the following are examples;
Lissamin Green V200, Carbolane Green or Carbolan Yellow, may be
used.
The device may be constructed in any convenient manner to achieve
the desired effect. However, a preferred construction comprises a
container having a lower portion capable of containing a solid mass
of the water-soluble material and an upper portion provided with
holes whereby water has access to the water-soluble material when
the device is immersed in the water of a flushing cistern.
Preferably the water-soluble medium contains a dyestuff as
indicating means in the form of a tablet placed on the bottom of
the lower portion of the container and the water-soluble material
is a normally solid material which has a relatively low melting
point such that it can be melted and poured into the container to
cover the tablet of dyestuff. The container may simply be a
cylindrical or tubular vessel with an opening at the top and
provided with means whereby the container can be suspended in the
cistern.
Such devices preferably include a water-soluble cleaning substance,
in a tablet attached to the upper portion of the device. The tablet
may be suspended inside or outside the device, e.g., inside the
device above the surface of the water-soluble material.
The devices of the present invention may include perfumes or
deodorants.
If a tablet is used as the water-soluble medium it is preferred
that it contains from 15 to 60 percent by weight of the dyestuff,
from 15-40 percent of disintegrating agent e.g., celutab, from 0-20
percent of carbonate or bicarbonate and from 0-20 percent of solid
acid.
A preferred device according to the invention will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings which
Fig. 1 is a side view, partly sectional, of the upper portion of
the device;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the top of the upper portion;
FIG. 3 is a side view, partly sectional, of the lower portion of
the device;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the lower portion taken from the bottom
and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled device.
Referring to the FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings the device comprises
an upper portion 1 of generally frusto-conical shape but having a
bevelled edge 2 on one side and provided at its base with a
circumferential flange or lip 3 and slots 4 on opposite sides of
the upper portion. The upper portion has an open top 5 surrounded
by an inwardly projecting flange 6. As shown in FIG. 2 the top of
the upper portion has a slit 7, situated in the flange 6, by which
the device may be suspended in a flushing cistern, with a strap,
band or other suspending means (not shown).
Turning to FIG. 3, the lower portion of the device 8 is of inverted
frusto-conical shape and is provided with a circumferential flange
9 which projects outwards and then upwards. The flange 9 is
provided with internal beads or lugs 10 spaced at intervals around
its circumference (see FIG. 4.). The lower portion has a well 11 at
its bottom. Referring to FIG. 5 a tablet 12 containing dyestuff is
placed on the bottom of the lower portion 8 and the lower portion
is then substantially filled with a molten detergent and/or
disinfectant composition 13, which is normally solid at room
temperature. The upper portion is then joined to the lower portion
by push-fitting the upper portion into the flange 9 of the lower
portion, the lip 3 having a friction grip on the inside of the
flange 9, which is assisted by the beads or lugs 10 disposed around
the circumference of the interior of the flange 9.
A strap member or other suitable attachment is attached to the slit
7 and by means of this the device is suspended in the flushing
cistern. In use water enters the device through the open top 5 and
dissolves some of the detergent and/or disinfectant material
contained in the device. When the cistern is flushed the solution
of detergent and/or disinfectant leaves the device through the
holes 4 to clean and/or disinfect the lavatory bowl. The cistern
refills, water pours into the device through the open top 5 and
more disinfectant and/or detergent is dissolved. When the device is
nearly empty of detergent and/or disinfectant, water from the
flushing cistern reaches the tablet of dyestuff. This, being made
of material which is readily soluble, rapidly dissolves in the
water and releases the dyestuff to colour the water in the flushing
cistern. When the cistern is next flushed the colour in the
lavatory bowl indicates the device requires replacement.
As mentioned previously this can be achieved by having a colourless
detergent and/or disinfectant medium, so that the colour of the
dyestuff in the lavatory bowl in the tablet indicates by provision
of colour that the device requires replacement. Alternatively the
detergent and/or disinfectant may be coloured with a dyestuff of
one colour and the tablet with a dyestuff of a different colour,
the change in colour indicating that the device requires
replacement.
In a typical device according to the invention the composition
employed was a detergent medium comprising the following:
Conox J. 309 (Ethylene oxide condensate with nonylphenol containing
30 ethylene oxide residues)., detergent. 92.7% Dichlorometaxylenol
(which serves as disinfectant and detergent). 3.5% Disulphine Blue
VN 150 (dye). 3.8%
The dyestuff used as indicator was made up in the form of a tablet
comprising 30 percent celutab and 50 percent Rhodamine B extra 10
percent of sodium bicarbonate and 10 percent of oxalic acid all
percentages being by weight. These materials were compressed to 200
lbs. per sq. in. gauge to form the tablet.
The tablet weighing 1 gram was placed in the bottom of the lower
portion and the detergent and disinfectant composition was melted
and poured into the lower portion to provide 56 grams of this
material in the device. In this example exhaustion of the detergent
and disinfectant material in the device was shown by changing of
the dye from blue to red colour.
In a preferred form of the above embodiment the device includes an
additional releasing means for rapidly releasing a cleaning
substance into the cistern immediately the device is immersed in
it. The releasing means is in the form of a tablet in the shape of
a ring 14 (FIG. 5) suspended from inside the top 1 of the
container. However, this tablet may alternatively be attached to
the outside of the container e.g., to the hanging strap.
A suitable composition for the ring-shaped tablet is:
Allyl Caproate 30% Silica 20% Celutab 25% Oxalic acid 15% Sodium
bicarbonate 10% 100%
Celutab is a commercial product comprising 90-2 percent dextrose,
3-5 percent maltose, the remainder being higher glucose
saccharides.
This preferred form of device functions as follows: The ring shaped
tablet 14 dissolves immediately the device is placed into the
cistern, discharging a powerful cleaner into the water, and giving
off a definite, powerful and pleasant odour. This will be replaced
fairly quickly by a pale blue cleaning solution, and will operate
for a period of about six weeks. At this point the water contacts
the dyestuff tablet 12, and rapidly releases an intense red dye
into the water, thus indicating that a new unit is required.
In this embodiment the oxalic acid, present in the ring-shaped
tablet, serves the dual purpose of providing a strong cleaning
action and an acid to release carbon dioxide from the sodium
bicarbonate, thereby assisting rapid disintegration of the
tablet.
* * * * *