CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to a U.S provisional patent application having serial number 63/376,155, filed on September 19 ^th of 2022, incorporated by reference herein its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to dispensing cleaning agents or compositions, and more particularly to a cleaning agent or composition containing dispensers that are mounted to a sanitary appliance.

Description of the Related Art

Sanitary appliances are sanitary hardware (also referred to as sanitary fixtures or plumbing fixtures) that are permanently connected to drain pipes and installed in a room intended for waste water removal such as a water closet, bathroom, washroom, toilet room, restroom, lavatory, and the like. Sanitary fixtures are at least connected to a waste water drain pipe, and are often connected to a plumbing system to both deliver clean water and remove waste water. Examples of sanitary fixtures include, for example, toilet, commode, bidet, urinal, sink, shower, bathtub, and the like. Sanitary fittings by comparison are items installed on or near a sanitary fixture that can be relatively easily removed; items such as toilet seat, toilet lid, mirror, shower curtains, and the like.

Toilet bowls are area of active development and commercialization for dispensers of cleaning or sanitizing agents. Some of these dispensers may also be adapted to be installed in other sanitary appliances.

Many dispensers have been provided to supply a cleaning or sanitizing agent or composition to the toilet bowl during a flush cycle to reduce manual cleaning of a clean toilet bowl. The dispensers may be directly installed in the toilet bowl or may be installed in the toilet cistem or water tank to dispense cleaning agent into the water held in the cistem that is to subsequently flow into the toilet bowl during a flush event. For example, a cleaning concentrate formed as a solid cake has been placed in the cistem, with the solid cake dissolving into the water of the cistem during a time interval between flush events. However, to be operable most of these dispensers require the water flow of a flush event, and are generally inoperable without a flush event. As such, a problem arises if a cleaning or sanitizing agent is desired in between flush events.

Therefore, an unmet need is dispensation of cleaning or sanitizing agent without any water flow, for example as may occur if a user wishes to dispense a cleaning or sanitizing agent into the still water of a toilet bowl. For example, a user may wish to reduce flush events after urinating in toilets. Generally flushing after urinating uses excess amounts of water, which is unnecessary, but still done to maintain hygiene in toilet/bathroom and for visual satisfaction; unflushed urine in toilets may produce an undesired odor and may produce a water color that is aesthetically undesired. Another example, may be to dispense a cleaning or sanitizing agent prior to use of a toilet bowl for a clean and fresh bowl feeling. Another example, may be to dispense a cleaning or sanitizing agent during use, such as defecation, to immediately counteract odor in the water or the air in the toilet bowl directly above the water, as compared to spraying air freshener in a random direction in the air of the room.

Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a dispenser for supplying a cleaning agent or composition to a sanitary appliance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an aspect there is provided a hanging dispenser for mounting to a sanitary appliance and for supplying a cleaning agent to the sanitary appliance, the dispenser comprising: a housing for storing a reservoir of cleaning agent; a mounting arm extending from the housing for mounting the housing, the mounting arm sized to hang the housing at an exterior surface of the sanitary appliance; a tube attached to the mounting arm, the tube having a tube inlet communicative with the reservoir of cleaning agent and a tube outlet positioned within an interior cavity of the sanitary appliance; an actuator engaging the reservoir, the tube, or both the reservoir and the tube for triggering a release of the cleaning agent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a dispenser.

Figure 2 shows an assembled perspective view of the dispenser shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 shows an assembled side elevation view of the dispenser shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a first variant dispenser, with the dispenser shown in Figure 1 modified as a receiver unit for wireless communication with an associated control switch incorporated in a wireless transmitter unit.

Figure 5 shows a perspective exploded view of the transmitter unit shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows an exploded perspective view of a second variant dispenser.

Figure 7 shows an assembled perspective view of the second variant dispenser shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 shows an assembled perspective view of the second variant dispenser from Figure 6 installed on a toilet bowl.

Figure 9 shows an assembled perspective view of a third variant dispenser.

Figure 10 shows an assembled perspective view of the variant dispenser from Figure 9 installed on a toilet bowl.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, a dispenser for supplying a cleaning agent to a sanitary appliance will be described, the dispenser comprising a housing for storing a reservoir of cleaning agent, a mounting arm for mounting the housing to an exterior surface of the sanitary appliance, a tube attached to the mounting arm, the tube having a tube inlet communicative with the reservoir of cleaning agent and a tube outlet positioned within an interior cavity of the sanitary appliance.

Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of dispenser 10, while Figure 2 shows a corresponding assembled perspective view, while Figure 3 shows a corresponding assembled side elevation view. Dispenser 10 comprises housing or container 15 for holding and positioning components of the dispenser. A reservoir 20 storing a cleaning agent is disposed within housing 15. An actuator 25 is communicative with the reservoir 20, and functions to control release of cleaning agent from the reservoir 20. Activity of the actuator 25 is controlled by a control signal received from an electrical circuit board 30. Power to the circuit board 30 is supplied by power source 35. Power source 35 may directly supply current to the actuator 25 or power supplied to the circuit board 30 may be communicated to the actuator 25 or any other component as needed. The actuator 25 and other electrical component may be integrated with the circuit board as may suit a particular implementation. A mounting arm 40 is attached to and extends from the housing 15. The mounting arm 40 engages at least a top surface of the toilet, for example the top surface of a toilet bowl rim, and dispensing tube 45 is attached to at least a portion of the mounting arm 40. The dispensing tube 45 includes an inlet portion 50 that is disposed within housing 15 and is communicative with reservoir 20, a pipe or duct portion 52 providing a lumen for flow of cleaning agent released from the reservoir 20, and an outlet portion 54 (see Fig. 3) configured to be positioned within a cavity of a toilet bowl for directing the cleaning agent into the cavity of the toilet bowl.

The mounting arm 40 is shaped as a hook sized to fit and hang from a rim of a toilet bowl, so that the housing 15 is positioned at an exterior surface of the toilet bowl. The mounting arm 40 includes a first bar 60 that abuts the top surface of the rim of the toilet bowl and a second bar 65 that abuts the interior surface of the rim of the toilet bowl. The first bar 60, second bar 65 and a surface of the housing 15 facing the exterior surface of the toilet bowl cooperate to hang the housing 15 at the exterior surface of the bowl. As the housing is in a hanging position, the mounting arm 40 must be of sufficient durable construction to withstand the tension imposed by gravity acting on the combined mass of the housing 15 and components disposed therein. The first bar 60 and second bar 65 may be integrated or may be separate pieces as desired, and the first bar 60 may be positioned at an angle to second bar 65 that matches the angle between the top surface and the interior surface of the toilet bowl rim, and often the angle between the top surface and the interior surface of the toilet bowl rim is approximately 90 degrees. When the first bar 60 and second bar 65 are separate pieces connection of the separate pieces may be fixed or may be hinged or rotatable as desired. Further bars may be included in the mounting arm 40, for example a third bar that abuts the exterior surface of the toilet bowl rim may be included or a third bar that bolsters attachment of the mounting arm 40 to a surface of the housing 15 may be included. A cover 70 may be attached to one or more bars of the mounting arm 40 to bolster attachment of dispensing tube 45 to the mounting arm 40. The cover 70 may provide an interior surface grooved with a trough or channel that matches the exterior circumference of the dispensing tube 45. Figure 3 shows a fist cover 70 attached to first bar 60 and a second cover 75 attached to second bar 65.

A control switch 80 for user control may be integrated with housing 15 in wired communication with circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may also be part of an integrated version of circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may be integrated with housing 15 but may be configured to communicate wirelessly with circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may also be detached from housing 15 and may communicate wirelessly with circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may be reversibly detachable from a docking port formed in housing 15 and may communicate wirelessly with circuit board 30 when both attached or detached from the docking port, or the control switch 80 can be configured for wired communication when attached and wireless communication when detached. The control switch 80 may take any convenient form, including for example a button that is depressed or a heat sensor or inductive sensor or capacitive sensor or resistive sensor that responds to touch or an infrared or ultrasound sensor that responds to proximity of a hand wave of the user.

Figure 4 shows a first variant dispenser 10A, which provides a modified version of the dispenser 10 shown in Figures 1 to 3, with the control switch 80 detached from housing 15 and communicating wirelessly with circuit board 30, while Figure 5 shows a corresponding exploded view of the wireless version of the control switch 80. The control switch 80 is incorporated within a transmitter unit 90 comprises a casing 95 with a front surface and a back surface joined by circumferential sides defining an interior cavity between the front surface and the back surface. Electronic components for generating and transmitting a radio frequency (RF) modulated coded signal are mounted within the interior cavity of the casing 95. The components may include for example: a transmitter printed circuit board (not shown); a transmitter microcontroller (not shown); an RF modulator (not shown); a transmitter antenna 100, a transmitter power source 105, and a control switch 80 that may take any desired form including for example, a push-to-make switch or a sensor switch.

The transmitter microcontroller is communicative with the RF modulator (not shown) that generates an RF carrier frequency and modulates the carrier frequency to represent a serial coded waveform. The modulated carrier frequency signal is transmitted through transmitter antenna 100. The transmitter printed circuit board provides a surface for mechanically supporting a plurality of conductive pathways or tracks for electrically connecting the electronic components of the transmitter including transmitter microcontroller (not shown), RF modulator (not shown), transmitter antenna 100, transmitter power source 105, and control switch 80. Control switch 80 controls the pathway for transmitter power source 105 to provide power to the other electronic components of the transmitter unit 90. Transmitter power source 105 is accessible through an aperture (not shown) formed in a back surface of casing 95. A transmitter battery cap 110 covering the aperture is reversibly coupled to the back surface of casing 95, with removal of the transmitter battery cap allowing access to the transmitter power source 105 for inspection or replacement. Alternatively, in applications where back surface access to the transmitter power source 105 is inconvenient, inspection or replacement of the battery may occur by removal of all or part of the front surface of the casing 95. The transmitter unit 90 may include a speaker 115 connected to transmitter circuit board for providing audible indicators such as a flush sound to indicate that the switch. A control switch 80 for user control may be disposed in housing 15 in wired communication with circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may also be part of an integrated version of circuit board 30. When the control switch 80 is incorporated in housing 15, one or more of other components of the transmitter unit 90 can also be incorporated in housing 15, including for example speaker 115 or any transmitter microcontroller, RF modulator, transmitter antenna, and the like. Furthermore, speaker 115 need not be tied to control switch 80, and as an example a further variant where speaker 115 is in the first variant dispenser 10A and control switch 80 is in the transmitter unit 90 is contemplated. As another example, a further variant where speaker 115 is found in both the first variant dispenser 10A and transmitter unit 90 is also contemplated. As yet another example, a further variant of dispenser 10 including a speaker is also contemplated.

In the example shown in Figure 4 of a detached control switch 80 incorporated in transmitter unit 90, the dispenser 10A is a receiving unit or receiver of the control signal sent from the transmitter unit 90. The receiver is incorporated within dispenser housing 15 and electronic components for receiving and decoding an RF modulated coded signal are mounted within the interior cavity of the housing 15. The components include: a receiver printed circuit board 30; a receiver antenna (not shown); a receiver microcontroller (not shown); an RF receiver (not shown); and a receiver battery 35.

The receiver antenna captures the modulated carrier frequency signal emitted by the transmitter unit 90. The receiver antenna is communicative with the RF receiver. The RF receiver demodulates the modulated carrier frequency signal into a serial coded waveform. The RF receiver is communicative with the receiver microcontroller which decodes the serial coded waveform and determines whether to send a control signal such as a square wave to activate actuator 25. The receiver printed circuit board 30 provides a surface for mechanically supporting a plurality of conductive pathways or tracks for electrically connecting electronic components of the receiver including the receiver antenna (not shown), the receiver microcontroller (not shown), the RF receiver (not shown), the actuator 25; and the receiver battery 35. The receiver battery 35 may be accessible through a removable receiver battery cap (not shown) reversibly coupled to a surface of housing 15, with removal of the receiver battery cap (not shown) allowing access to the receiver battery 35 for inspection or replacement.

Several illustrative variants of a dispenser have been described above. Further variants and modifications are described below. Moreover, guiding relationships for configuring variants and modifications are also described below. Still further variants and modifications are contemplated and will be recognized by the person of skill in the art. It is to be understood that guiding relationships and illustrative variants or modifications are provided for the purpose of enhancing the understanding of the person of skill in the art and are not intended as limiting statements.

As an example of a further variant, Figure 6 shows an exploded perspective view of a second variant dispenser 10B, while Figure 7 shows a corresponding assembled perspective view, while Figure 8 shows a corresponding assembled perspective view installed on a toilet bowl. Second variant dispenser 10B is similar to dispenser 10A shown in Figure 4 except for configuration of a variant mounting arm 40B and modification of the outlet portion 54 of the dispensing tube 45 to be enveloped by an outlet nozzle structure 145. More specifically, variant dispenser 10B comprises housing or container 15 for holding and positioning components of the dispenser. A reservoir 20 storing a cleaning agent is disposed within housing 15. An actuator 25 is communicative with the reservoir 20, and functions to control release of cleaning agent from the reservoir 20. Activity of the actuator 25 is controlled by a control signal received from an electrical circuit board 30. Power to the circuit board 30 is supplied by power source 35. Power source 35 may directly supply current to the actuator 25 or power supplied to the circuit board 30 may be communicated to the actuator 25 or any other component as needed. The actuator 25 and other electrical components may be integrated with the circuit board as may suit a particular implementation. A variant mounting arm 40B is attached to and extends from the housing 15. The variant mounting arm 40B engages at least a top surface of the toilet bowl, for example the top surface of a toilet bowl rim, and dispensing tube 45 is attached to at least a portion of the variant mounting arm 40B. The dispensing tube 45 includes an inlet portion 50 that is disposed within housing 15 and is communicative with reservoir 20, a pipe or duct portion 52 providing a lumen for flow of cleaning agent released from the reservoir 20, and an outlet portion 54 (see Fig. 7) configured to be positioned within a cavity of a toilet bowl for directing the cleaning agent into the cavity of the toilet bowl. The outlet portion 54 may be encased in an outlet nozzle 145 to maintain shape and positioning of the outlet portion 54, and the outlet nozzle may be shaped to abut an interior surface of the toilet bowl to gain abutting support from the interior surface of the toilet bowl to robustly maintain position of the outlet portion 54.

The variant mounting arm 40B is L-shaped and sized to fit and be reversibly fastened to a rim of a toilet bowl with bolt screws intended to attach a toilet seat fitting, so that the housing 15 is positioned at an exterior surface of the toilet bowl. The variant mounting arm 40B includes a variant first bar 120 that abuts the top surface of the back portion of the rim of the toilet bowl and a variant second bar 125 that abuts the exterior surface of the rim of the toilet bowl. The variant first bar 120, and the variant second bar 125 cooperate to hang the housing 15 at the exterior surface of the bowl. As the housing is in a hanging position, the mounting arm 40B must be of sufficient durable construction to withstand the tension imposed by gravity acting on the combined mass of the housing 15 and components disposed therein. Apertures 130 are formed in variant first bar 120, and the apertures 130 are positioned to be aligned with screw bolts 135 that are conventionally used to fasten a toilet seat fitting to the toilet bowl rim. A flow control switch 140 may be installed on variant first arm 120, The flow control switch 140 may function to provide user control of a flow valve installed in dispensing tube 45 and may be used to switch flow from a first to a second flow path in implementations where multiple flow tubes are attached to variant mounting arm 40B, for example where multiple flow tubes converge to a single dispensing tube 45 or where the dispensing tube 45 is a plurality of tubes that extend along variant first arm 120 and are disposed within outlet nozzle 145. Alternatively, the flow control switch 140 could be installed to provide user control of switching the flow valve from an open to a closed position, or vice versa, in a single dispensing tube 45.

The variant first bar 120 and variant second bar 125 may be integrated or may be separate pieces as desired, and the variant first bar 120 may be positioned at an angle to variant second bar 125 that matches the angle between the top surface and the exterior surface of the toilet bowl rim, and often the angle between the top surface and the exterior surface of the toilet bowl rim is approximately 90 degrees. When the variant first bar 120 and variant second bar 125 are separate pieces connection of the separate pieces may be fixed or may be hinged or rotatable as desired. Further bars may be included in the variant mounting arm 40B, for example a variant third bar that abuts the interior surface of the toilet bowl rim may be included or a variant third bar that bolsters attachment of the mounting arm 40B to outlet nozzle 145 may be included.

A control switch 80 for user control may be integrated with housing 15 in wired communication with circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may also be part of an integrated version of circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may be integrated with housing 15 but may be configured to communicate wirelessly with circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may also be detached from housing 15 and may communicate wirelessly with circuit board 30. The control switch 80 may be reversibly detachable from a docking port formed in housing 15 and may communicate wirelessly with circuit board 30 when both attached or detached from the docking port, or the control switch 80 can be configured for wired communication when attached and wireless communication when detached. The control switch 80 may take any convenient form, including for example a button that is depressed or a heat sensor or inductive sensor or capacitive sensor or resistive sensor that responds to touch or an infrared or ultrasound sensor that responds to proximity of a hand wave of the user.

As an example of another variant, Figure 9 shows an assembled perspective view of a third variant dispenser IOC, while Figure 10 shows a corresponding assembled perspective view installed on a toilet bowl. Third variant dispenser 10C is similar to second variant dispenser 10B shown in Figures 6 to 8 except for configuration of a variant mounting arm 40C to accommodate a clean water source from a plumbing pipe connected to the plumbing system and modification of the outlet nozzle structure 145 to accommodate an outlet from the clean water source in addition to the dispensing tube outlet 54. More specifically, the variant mounting arm 40C is similar to mounting arm 40B, in that mounting arm 40C is L-shaped and sized to fit and be reversibly fastened to a rim of a toilet bowl with bolt screws intended to attach a toilet seat fitting, so that the housing 15 is positioned at an exterior surface of the toilet bowl. Mounting arm 40C differs from mounting arm 40B in that it supports connection of plumbing pipe 160 and supports attachment points for tubing communicative between plumbing pipe 160 and clean water outlet 165.

A flow control switch 140 may be installed on mounting arm 40C similar to mounting arm 40B. The flow control switch 140 may function to provide user control of a flow valve installed in dispensing tube 45 and may be used to switch flow from a first to a second flow path in implementations where multiple flow tubes are attached to variant mounting arm 40C, for example where multiple flow tubes converge to a single dispensing tube 45 or where the dispensing tube 45 is a plurality of tubes that extend along mounting arm 40C and are disposed within outlet nozzle 145.

Although the example shown in Figures 9 and 10, provide a clean water source from a plumbing pipe connection to the plumbing system for the sanitary appliance, and therefore provides a water flow, it should be noted that the dispenser controlled release of cleaning agent can occur independent of the water flow. More particularly, the dispenser devices described herein can operate in absence of water flow, and certainly will not operate with water flow inside a sanitary appliance such as a flush-event water flow inside a toilet bowl cavity or inside a cistem for the toilet bowl, as the housing of the dispenser (including a reservoir for holding the cleaning agent) is always positioned to be at an exterior surface of the sanitary appliance and the reservoir and the cleaning agent stored in the reservoir are therefore isolated from water flow of the plumbing system. As another example of variation, any of the dispenser devices described herein can be implemented as a plurality of units, including for example two units of a dispenser receiver and a control switch transmitter with both units independently attached to respective locations, and may also be integrated into a single device as shown for example in Figures 1 to 3. Whether implemented as a plurality of units or as a single integrated device, the shape and size are not limitations, and the dispenser described herein may take any convenient aesthetic, form, shape and size.

As another example of variation, in an integrated single dispenser device, the electrical control switch and other electrical components may be replaced by a manual push button actuator.

As another example of variation, any of the dispenser variants described herein that include power sources and electrical components may be equipped with any suitable computing architecture, visual display, audio, user interface, networked communication and other modules or components that are conventionally available in portable computing devices such as smartphones, computing tablets, microcomputers and the like. Lights, speakers, and smart computing features as may be found in portable computing devices may optionally be incorporated in the dispenser described herein.

As another example of variation, communication between dispenser receiver unit and transmitter unit may employ any convenient electronic communication technology including for example, radio frequency, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or any conventional transmitter receiver circuits etc.

As another example of variation, in a wireless control switch transmitter unit implementation, options of touch display/click button/ wave command or any other types of triggering option are contemplated, which will transmit message to the dispensing unit to initiate its functions. This unit may also be equipped with a speaker with flush sound (optional) which may play upon triggering this unit to give an authentic feeling of a flush. This unit can also be integrated with smart features including but not limited to flush tracking, Bluetooth connected speaker, phone connection, additional lightings etc.

As another example of variation, in a dispenser options for reservoirs to hold a cleaning agent are contemplated, including any type of convenient container for holding a desired formulation of a cleaning agent, such as gas, liquid, paste, gel, semi-solid or solid formulations of a cleaning agent. Also, options for the cleaning agent combined with dye to mask the color of urine mixed in toilet water, or a separate reservoir for dye incorporated within the dispenser housing and communicative with the dispensing tube, or implementation in absence of dye are all contemplated.

A cleaning agent or composition includes any single compound or combination of compounds that may find use in cleansing or maintaining a sanitary appliance such as a toilet bowl, including for example any cleaner, sanitizer, deodorant, disinfectant, detergent, antiseptic, antimicrobial, denaturant, neutralizer, surfactant, degreaser, adsorbent, and the like. A cleaning agent or composition may also include any suitable excipient such as dyes or coloring agents, buffers, preservatives, abrasives, and the like. The cleaning agent may have any desired utility for cleansing or maintaining a sanitary appliance such as neutralizing or reducing odor of urine or obscuring color of urine in standing or still water in a toilet bowl.

As another example of variation, any suitable power source may be used, including for example disposable battery, rechargeable battery, solar cell with a capacitor, solar cell with a rechargeable battery, solar cell with any convenient energy storage component, electrical cable plugged into an electrical outlet, electrical cable hardwired to the building electrical system, and the like.

Embodiments described herein are intended for illustrative purposes without any intended loss of generality. Still further variants, modifications and combinations thereof are contemplated and will be recognized by the person of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is not intended to limit scope, applicability, or configuration of claimed subject matter.