Title: Water closet additive means

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1. A device for introducing an additive liquid into a water closet of the type having a tank for retaining a flushing liquid which lowers and rises between a first upper level and a second lower level during flushing, comprising:

container means for retaining the additive liquids;

first conduit means communicating between said container means and inlet opening means positionable in said tank intermediate said first and second levels of the flushing liquid to admit air into the first conduit means when the flushing liquid lowers below the inlet opening means, said inlet opening means being positionable sufficiently below said first level for the flushing liquid to force air through the first conduit means into the container means as the flushing liquid rises above the inlet opening means toward said first level;

one-way valve means associated with the first conduit means for permitting passage of air from said inlet opening means to the container means and for preventing passage of fluid from the container means to the inlet opening means; and

second conduit means communicating between said additive liquid in the container means and outlet opening means positionable in the tank for passage of additive liquid into the flushing liquid, whereby the air forced into the container means forces a portion of the additive liquid from the container means through the second conduit means and outlet opening means into the flushing liquid in said tank.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said additive liquid comprises a cleaning solution.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said additive liquid includes a deodorant.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said additive liquid includes a first liquid and a visual indicating material having a density less than the density of said first liquid.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said visual indicating material comprises a second liquid having a color which contrasts to the color of the first liquid.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the outlet opening means is positionable in the tank above the first level of the flushing liquid.

7. The device of claim 6 including ledge means positionable intermediate the outlet opening means and the first level of the flushing liquid for breaking the flow of the additive liquid into the flushing liquid.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said ledge means includes pocket means to receive and retain a portion of said additive liquid.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said ledge means includes a surface facing toward the outlet opening means and said pocket means comprises a plurality of recesses in said surface.

10. The device of claim 7 including means for selectively moving the ledge means remote the path of said additive liquid from the outlet opening means.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the moving means comprises means for rotably supporting the ledge means on the first conduit means for rotation of the ledge means about the first conduit means between a first position with the ledge means located in the path of the additive liquid from the outlet opening means and a second position spaced from the path of the additive liquid from the outlet opening means.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the first conduit means includes an elongated air chamber adjacent one end of the conduit means and defining said inlet opening means.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the valve means is located intermediate said air chamber and the container means.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein said air chamber extends from the inlet opening means to a location positionable above the first level of the flushing liquid.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the inlet opening means is positionable adjacent the second level of the flushing liquid.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the container means is separable from at least a portion of the first and second conduit means.

17. The device of claim 1 including means for releasably attaching the container means to the first and second conduit means.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the second conduit means includes a separate end section in the container means communicating with the additive liquid, and including means for connecting said end section to the remainder of the second conduit means responsive to attachment of the container means by the attaching means.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the container means includes a connecting portion having first and second aperture means, said first conduit means includes a first connecting tube adjacent one end, said second conduit means includes a first end section in the container means communicating between the second aperture means and the additive liquid and a second end section having a second connecting tube adjacent one end, and including means for removably attaching the container means to the first conduit means and the second end section of the second conduit means with the first connecting tube communicating with the inside of the container means through the first aperture means and with the second connecting tube communicating with the first end section of the second conduit means through the second aperture means.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the first end section of the second conduit means communicates with a lower end of the container means.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the first connecting tube communicates with the inside of the container means adjacent an upper end of the container means.

22. The device of claim 19 wherein the first and second connecting tubes are spaced and generally aligned and the first and second aperture means are spaced from each other in the connecting portion of the container means to receive the first and second tube sections.

23. The device of claim 19 including means for preventing fluid leakage from the attached container means and first and second conduit means.

24. The device of claim 23 including a first sealing surface surrounding said first and second connecting tubes, and in which said connecting portion of the container means includes a second sealing surface engaging against the first sealing surface when the container means is attached to the first and second conduit means to prevent fluid leakage.

25. The device of claim 24 including a resilient sealing member defining one of said sealing surfaces.

26. The device of claim 19 wherein the attaching means comprises rotably mounted rim means having a rim portion surrounding the first and second tube sections and being removably securable to the connecting portion of the container means.

27. The device of claim 19 including means for closing said first and second aperture means, and in which said first and second connecting tubes open the closing means of the first and second aperture means during attachment of the container means.

28. The device of claim 1 wherein the container means is positionable outside the tank.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein said first and second conduit means includes a central portion positionable in an overlying relationship on an upper rim of the tank, a first end portion depending from the central portion including said inlet and outlet opening means and being positionable in the tank, and a second end portion extending from the central portion and communicating with the container means, said second end portion being positionable outside the tank.

30. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second conduit means include a depending first end portion including the inlet and outlet opening means, a second end portion communicating with the container means, and hook means for supporting the first and second outlet means on an upper rim of the tank.

31. The device of claim 1 including means for supporting the first and second conduit means on the water closet with the first and second conduit means located in the reservoir tank.

32. The device of claim 1 wherein the second conduit means communicates with the additive liquid adjacent a lower end of the container means.

33. The device of claim 1 wherein the first conduit means communicates with an upper end of the container means.

34. The device of claim 1 including means for adjusting the height of the inlet opening means relative the lower level of the flushing liquid.

35. The device of claim 34 wherein the first conduit means includes an elongated air chamber adjacent one end of the conduit means and defining said inlet opening means, the container means is positionable outside the tank, said first and second conduit means include a central portion positionable in an overlying relationship on an upper rim of the tank, a first end portion depending from the central portion including said inlet and outlet opening means and being positionable in the tank, and a second end portion extending from the central portion and communicating with the container means, said second end portion being positionable outside the tank, and in which the adjusting means comprises, a first elongated upper section of said first end portion, and a second lower elongated section of said first end portion, said second section being movable along said first section.

36. A device for introducing an additive liquid into a water closet of the type having a tank for retaining a flushing liquid which lowers and rises between a first upper level and a second lower level during flushing, comprising:

a connector having a central portion for placement on an upper rim of the tank, a first end portion depending from the central portion for placement in the tank, and a second end portion extending from the central portion for placement outside the tank, an elongated air chamber in the first end portion having inlet means positioned a substantial distance below the first level of the flushing liquid and above the second level to admit air when the flushing liquid is below the inlet means, a first lumen extending through the connector and communicating between the air chamber and first aperture means in the second end portion, and a second lumen extending between second aperture means in the second end portion and outlet means in the first end portion, said outlet means being located for depositing liquid in the flushing liquid, said device being positionable on the water closet with the connector extending over the upper rim of the tank to permit placement of a cover for the water closet on the tank and over said connector; and

one-way valve means associated with the first lumen for permitting passage of air from the air chamber to the first aperture means and preventing passage of fluid from the first aperture means to the air chamber.

37. The device of claim 36 including a container having a chamber for retaining an additive liquid, and means for releasably attaching the container to the second end portion with the first aperture means communicating with the chamber and the second aperture means communicating with the additive liquid in the chamber.

38. The device of claim 37 wherein the connector includes first and second spaced tube sections extending from said second end portion, with said first tube section communicating with the first lumen and defining the first aperture means, and with the second tube section communicating with the second lumen and defining the second aperture means, in which said container includes a top portion, first and second opening means extending through the top portion with said first opening means communicating with an upper end of the chamber, in which said container includes tube means communicating between the second opening means and a lower end of the chamber, and in which said first and second tube sections are received in the first and second opening means when the container is attached to the connector, with the first aperture means communicating with an upper end of the chamber, and with the second aperture means communicating with the tube means.

39. The device of claim 36 wherein the container includes a top portion having a first sealing surface, and the second end portion of the connector includes a second sealing surface for sealingly engaging with said first surface when the container is attached to the connector.

40. The device of claim 38 wherein the container includes a top portion having a first sealing surface, and the second end portion of the connector includes a second sealing surface for sealingly engaging with said first surface when the container is attached to the connector, and in which said first sealing surface surrounds the first and second opening means, the second sealing surface surrounds the first and second tube sections, and the attaching means comprises a rim means at least partially surrounding the first and second tube sections and being rotatably mounted on the second end portion of the connector, said rim means being cooperatively engageable with said top portion of the container.

41. The device of claim 36 including means for adjusting the distance between said inlet means and the central portion of the connector.

42. A receptacle comprising, a container having a chamber for retaining a liquid, a top member having first and second bores extending at least partially through the top member and having an integral film closing the first and second bores, and a first tube extending from one of said bores to a lower end of the chamber, and a resilient flexible sealing member secured to an outer surface of the top member and defining an outer sealing surface for the container.

43. The receptacle of claim 42 wherein the film is located adjacent an outer end of the top member.

44. The receptacle of claim 42 including a second tube communicating between the other of said bores and an upper end of the chamber.

45. The receptacle of claim 42 wherein said resilient member includes a pair of openings extending through the resilient member and aligned with the first and second bores.

46. The receptacle of claim 42 including a cap removably secured to the top member.

Other info:

Inventors: Taylor, Glenn N. (Cary, IL, US)

Application Number: 541745
Filing Date: 1975-01-17
Publication_date: 1976-05-04
Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company (New York, NY)
Primary Class(es): 4/227.5 4/228.1, 222/86, 222/180, 222/400.7
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

495563	Apr, 1893	Plumb	4/228.
853434	May, 1907	Blackmere	4/222.
1728737	Sep, 1929	Stoner	4/227.
1749312	Mar, 1930	Blair	222/373.
2658206	Nov, 1953	Martinez	4/228.
2839763	Jun, 1958	Newsom	4/227.
3200994	Aug, 1965	Levinson et al.	222/400.
3342338	Sep, 1967	Selmeczi et al.	4/227.
3374927	Mar, 1968	Schmidt	222/400.

Other Refs: 597,267

Jan, 1948	UK

Primary Examiner: Knowles, Allen N.
Assistant Examiner: Lane, Hadd
Attorney: Sprunger; Powell L.