AU687387B2 - A dispenser assembly - Google Patents

Description

A DISPENSER ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a dispenser aesembly.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to a dispenser assembly for dispensing deodorants and/or disinfectants in block form used to destroy odours caused by a build up of uric acid in urinals, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However, it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications, such as a dispenser assembly mounted on an inlet of a rain water tank for administering chlorine to rain water to be stored therein.

Most urinals include either a bowl shaped repository or a channel shaped repository configured such that liquids deposited therein will flow due to gravity into an associated drainage system which typically includes an inlet covered by a grate. In practice one or more cylindrically shaped deodorant and/or disinfectant blocks of the type which *0 readily dissolve in uric acid and/or an aqueous solution are S 20 scattered over the floor of the repository.

Typically unrestrained deodorant and/or disinfectant •see blocks have a tendency to oe swept onto the grate and as a consequence often obstruct the passage of fluids therethrough .00 resulting in an odorous build up of uric acid in the repository. Alternatively the unrestrained deodorant and/or disinfectant blocks may be swept away from the inlet by the '7.1 I I~j It~ FI: ?YI; FRk Hq.+b 21N[I1 2 flow of water end/or sudden deposit of water, in the repository and may subsequently be deposited in a position remote therefrom rendering the blocks ineffective.

The present invention aims to alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages and to provide a dispenser assembly which will be reliable and efficient in use.

With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a dispenser assembly for a urinal having an outlet formed in a wall of said urinal through which fluids including urine may pass, said dispenser assembly including:support means for supporting thereon deodorants and/or disinfectants in solid form; retaining means associated with said support means for 15 retaining the deodorant and/or disinfectant on siad support means; at least one opening formed in either said retaining means or said support means through which fluids may pass, and spacing means adapted to space said support means above the outlet of the urinal and -to cover the outlet, said spacing means including a skirt dependent from said support means, the configuration of said skirt being such that fluids may pass therethrough and into -the outlet.

The support means may include a wall or platform on which the material may be supported and which may include one Alternatively, the support means may include attachment means for attaching the support means to a structure such as a repository in general or the drainage inlet thereof in particular and in one embodiment the attachment means may be adapted to engage an existing grate covering the drainage inlet and may include a plurality of clips or the like. In an alternative embodiment, the attachment means may include a threaded stem which is adapted to threadably engage a portion of the drainage inlet. In yet another embodiment the support means may include a mounting flange or flanges having apertures formed therein through which fasteners may extend for the attachment of the flange or flanges to a supporting structure.

The support means may be adapted to be supported in an elevated position, ie. spaced above the base wall of the repository, and wherein this may be achieved by the addition of spacing means, such as one or more spacing members, and/or the attachment means, all of which may be positioned intermediate the base wall of the repository and the support means. The spacing means and/or the attachment means may further include passageways formed therein through which a transport medium may flow.

For example the spacing means may include one or more legs generally dependant from the support means and wherein there may be provided passageways between the legs through which the transport medium may flow. Alternatively, the spacing means may comprise a continuous wall or a plurality of walls which may in addition include passageways such as apertures formed therein through which the transport medium may pass.

The spacing means may be provided with attachment means facilitating the attachment of the spacing means, and hence the support means, to a supporting structure such as a repository. The attachment means for example may include mechanical fasteners, welding or the use of adhesives.

The retaining means may include a plurality of obstacles located on the support means. For example the retaining means may comprise a plurality of upstanding posts or wall portions spaced around the periphery of the support means and wherein the spaces separating adjacent posts or walls may constitute an inlet through which a transport medium may flow whilst being small enough so as to prevent the passage therethrough of the undissolved or unseparated material to be dispensed. In an alternative embodiment the retaining means may include a continuous wall or a plurality of walls 20 arranged substantially end to end so as to form an enclosure and wherein the wall or walls may include one or more apertures formed therein which may function as an inlet and/or an outlet through which the transport medium may pass.

The dispenser assembly may also include an access opening which permits a user to place material to be dispensed on the support means. The access opening may be defined by the upper periphery of the retaining means. In an alternative embodiment the access opening may include a suitably sized aperture formed in the support means or the retaining means.

The dispenser assembly may also include closure means for closing the access opening such as a lid, cap or plug and wherein the closure means may be lockable thereby preventing any unauthorized removal of the material to be dispensed.

The transport medium may be a gas, liquid or a mixture of solids.

Preferably the dispenser assembly is adapted to dispense deodorants and/or disinfectants in block form used to destroy odours caused by a build up of uric acid in urinals and wherein the configuration of the dispenser assembly is such that a solution comprising liquids used during the flushing process and uric acid on passing through the dispenser dissolve at least some of the deodorant and/or disinfectant and whereby the resulting mixture is free to flow into an adjacent drainage system.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a typical embodiment of the invention and wherein:- FIG. 1 is a side view of a side view of a dispenser assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a top view of the dispenser assembly illustrated in figure 1; FIG. 3 is a side view of a lid for a dispenser assembly; FIG. 4 is a top view of the lid illustrated in figure 3, and FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the dispenser assembly illustrated in figure 1.

Figures 1 to 5 illustrate a dispenser assembly 10 for dispensing deodorants and/or disinfectants in block form 11, of the type which readily dissolve in uric acid and/or aqueous solutions, and which may be used to destroy odours caused by a build up of uric acid in urinals or drainage systems connected thereto.

The dispenser assembly 10 includes support means 12 15 including a perforated, circular supporting wall or platform 13 on which blocks 11 may be seated as illustrated in dotted outline in figure 1. The perforations or apertures 14 formed in the supporting wall 13 are circular and are arranged in o concentric rows about the centre.

The blocks 11 are retained on the supporting wall 13 by retaining means 15 which includes a continuous perforated side wall 16 which extends upwardly from a peripheral edge thereof. The apertures 17 formed in the side wall 16 are arranged in three rows 18, 19 and 20 respectively and wherein each row is contained in a plane which lies substantially parallel with a plane containing the supporting wall 13.

The retaining means 15 further includes a lid 21 comprising a top wall 22 and a dependant continuous skirt 23 and wherein the lid 21 is adapted to be placed over the upper peripheral edge 24 of the side wall 16 so as to close the access opening 25 defined by said peripheral edge. Fastening means, not shown, such as a grub screw may be used to selectively secure the lid 21 to the side wall 16.

The dispenser assembly also includes spacing means 26 including a skirt 27 which extends downwardly from the peripheral edge of the supporting wall 13 and which includes a plurality of semi-circular shaped checked out portions 28 formed therein.

The dispenser assembly 10 is also provided with attachment means 29 for attaching the assembly to a structure S" 15 such as a repository wall or grate 30, shown in dotted outline, of a urinal. The attachment means 29 includes a stem 31, one end of which is welded to the centre of the supporting wall 13 and wherein the opposing end 32 is threaded and may, in use, threadably engage a corresponding S: 20 threaded aperture formed in the grate S.In use, the dispenser assembly 10 may be mounted eT,.

S directly above a grate 30 formed in the base wall of a bowl shaped or channel shaped repository, not shown. The assembly 10 may be releasably attached to the grate 30 by the threaded engagement of the stem 29 with a centrally located threaded aperture formed therein such that the peripheral edge 33 of 8 the spacing means 26 abuts against the upper surface of the grate or repository floor. Consequently, the supporting wall 13 is spaced above the grate and the floor of the repository.

The access opening 25 permits deodorant and/or disinfectant blocks 11 to be placed inside the confines of the dispenser one on top of the other whereby, in use, as the lower most block is dissolved, it is replaced by an adjacent block from above.

It will be understood that urine deposited in the repository may flow freely through the passages defined by the respective checked out portions 28 and the floor of the repository or the grate 30 and that neither the apertures formed in the grate or the aforementioned passages are obstructed by the blocks. Furthermore, the release of water into the repository, results in a wave of water and urine which descends upon the grate and wherein the initial level of water and urine is at least as high as the first row 18 of apertures 17. Accordingly some of the solution of water and urine passes through the apertures 17 into the dispenser 20 where it mixes with or partially dissolves some of the S.lowermost block 11 immersed therein. The resulting mixture of water, urine, deodorant and disinfectant may then pass through the exposed apertures 14 into the drain below together with the surrounding solution of water and urine.

It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (4)

1. A dispenser assembly for a urinal having an outlet formed in a wall of said urinal through which fluids including urine May pass, said dispenser assembly including:-- support means for supporting thereon deodorants and/or disinfectants in solid form;~ retaining means associated with said support means for retaining the deodorant and/or disinfectant on said support means; at least one opening formed in either said retaining means or said support means through which fluids may pass, and .:..spacing means adapted to space said support means above the outlet of the urinal and to ovq r the outlet, said 15 spacing means including a skirt dependent from said support means, the configuration of said sk'irt being such that fluids may pass therethrough and into the outlet.

2. A dispenser assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is provided attachment means associated with the dispenser assembly for attaching the dispenser assembly to the urinal such that said support means is maintained in an operative position spaced above the outlet.

3. A dispenser assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attschment means includes a stem dependent from said support means, said stem having a thzeaded end portion.

4. A dispenser assembly as claimed in any one of the jrecedlnc ':laims, wherein said support means includes at least one aperture formed therein through which fluids may pass to the outlet- A dispenser assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the retaining means includes an access opening which permits 10 persons to place material to be dispensed on said support means. S. A dispenser assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS TWENTY-SIXTH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1997 WAYNE FARLEY by PIZZEYS PATENT TRA DE MARK ATTORNEYS 12 ABSTRACT This invention relates to a dispenser assembly 10 for dispensing materials such as deodorants and/or disinfectants in block form 11, being of the type which readily dissolve in uric acid and/or aqueous solutions, herein after called the transport nedium, and which may be used to destroy odours caused by a build up of uric acid in urinals or drainage systems connected thereto. The dispenser assembly 10 includes support means 12 including a perforated, circular supporting wall or platform 13 on which blocks 11 may be seated and whi.ch are retained thereon by retaining means including a side wall 16. The transport medium, may pass freely through the dispenser assembly via apertures 14 and 17 formed in the platform 13 and the side wall 16 respectively.