GB2339212A

GB2339212A - Container for toilet bowl with improved hook

Info

Publication number: GB2339212A
Application number: GB9820595A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean-Francois Lhoste; Laurent Herault
Original assignee: Reckitt and Colman France SA
Current assignee: Reckitt Benckiser France SAS
Priority date: 1998-07-06
Filing date: 1998-09-23
Publication date: 2000-01-19
Also published as: GB9820595D0

Description

2339212 IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CONTAINERS This invention relates

to containers and more particularly is concerned with containers for accommodating compositions for disinfecting or otherwise treating the water in t.he toilet bowl of a water closet.

It is known to provide compositions containing constituents such as antimicrobial agents, perfumes, bleaching agents, colourants and/or foaming agents for treating the water in toilet bowls. Ordinarily, the compositions are in the form of coherent self supporting blocks in c-age-like containers suspended near the rim of the bowl in a position where, on each occasion the bowl is flushed, the flushing water enters the container and contacts the block to entrain some of the composition before flowing down to the lower part of the bowl. Thus the water remaining in the lower part of the bowl, after flushing, includes some of the composition which disinfects or otherwise treats the water and the adjacent surfaces of the bowl.

More recently, compositions in the form of liquids or gels have been proposed. These have a relatively high viscosity such that they are retained in the container. During flushing, water enters the container and dilutes a part of the liquid or gel to form a relatively low viscosity composition which is able to egress from the container and flow into the bowl.

Generally the containers include a hook-like portion formed of plastics material and adapted to be fitted over, and contact, the rim of the toilet bowl.

However, conventional containers of this type are not entirely satisfactory in that they are not suspended in an adequately secure manner and hence tend to move with respect to the bowl in use.

I It is an object of the present invention to overcome this disadvantage.

According to the present invention there is provided a container for accommodating a composition for treating the water in the toilet bowl of a water closet, which container includes a hook-like portion for fitting over the rim of the toilet bowl, said hook like portion including a surface formed of material having a high coefficient of friction for contacting the rim.

Because of the presence of the material of high coefficient of friction, which is preferably an elastomeric material, the container of the present invention has a reduced tendency zo slide along the rim of the toilet bowl in use. The elastomeric material may be a relatively soft material (e.g. of 20 Shore A Hardness) or a relatively hard ma,-erial (e.g. of 60 Shore A Hardness). Generally, the softer the elastomeric material the greater the coefficient of friction.

If desired, the surface of the hook-like portion which is opposite to the surface contacting the rim may similarly be formed of material having a high coefficient of friction in order to make the container more distinctive. This latter material may, if desired, be of a bright colour in order to give a decorative effect. If desired the two opposite surfaces f"ormed of the high friction coefficient material may be the opposite surfaces of a body formed of said material and extending through the hook-like portion from one side to the other.

The nlastics material may be polypropylene and, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the hook-like portion is produced by a bi-injection moulding process wherein the plastics material and the elastomeric material are both introduced into a mould and become bonded together during moulding.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hook like portion is in the form of a resilient strap having, at its free end, a zone of increased area for engagement with the rim of the bowl.

The presence of the increased area at the free end of the hook-like portion contribu!-es to a more stable mounting of the container on the toilet bowl rim.

In a preferred embodiment, the free end of the hook-like portion is generally T-shaped in plan.

Alternatively, the hook-like portion may terminate, at its free end in a part which is generally circular or elliptical (bulb-like) in plan.

ordinarily the hook-like portion is in the form of a resilient strap which has a tendency to coil upon itself with the free end in the middle of the coil In use, the strap is manually uncoiled and fitted over the rim so that the zone of increased area engages the outer surface of the rim and assists in preventing relative movement of the container and the bowl.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried out, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container n accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, for attaching to a toilet bowl rim, Figure 2 is a cross section through a part of the container of Figure 1 when attached to the rim, Figure 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a cross-section along the line IV-IV of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the part shown in Figure 4 when fitted to the rim of a toilet bowl.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 o--':' the drawings, there is shwn a cage-like container 1 formed of polypropylene. It is provided with a plurality of apertures 2 in its walls and defines a chamber 3 for accommodating a coherent self supporting block 4 of, for example, perfumed antimicrobial composition. (if desired, the composition may be in the form of a liquid or gel instead of a block). The container includes a hook-like portion formed of polypropylene and in the form of a resilient strap comprising a first portion 5 having an end 6 secured to the chamberdefining part of the container, a second portion 7 having a free end 8, and a linking portion 9 joining the portions 5 and 7.

Portion 5 has an inner surface 10, portion 7 has an inner surface 11 and linking portion 9 has an inner surface 12. A first strip 13 of soft elastomeric material is provided at the inner surfaces 10, 11 and 12. A second strip of elastomeric material 14 may be provided at the outer surfaces of the portions 5 and 7 and linking portion 9 which are opposite to the inner surfaces 10, 11 and 12 respectively. This second strip of elastomeric material may be of a distinctive colour.

ordinarily, because of its resilient nature, the strap coils about itself with the free end 8 in the middle of the coil as shown in Figure 1. In use the consumer manually uncoils the strap and fits it over the rim 15 of the toilet bowl so that the first strip 13 is in contact with the rim 15 and the block 4 is located in the path of the flushing water as shown in Figure 2. The elastomeric material 13 has a coefficient of friction which is much greater than that of the polypropylene of the remainder of the hook-like portion and hence has a much reduced tendency to slide over the surface of the rim. Thus, the container is held in position on the rim in a secure manner and is less liable to move with respect to the rim.

During flushing, flushing water enters into the chamber 3 via the uppermost of apertures 2, entrains Composition from the block 4, and then leaves the chamber via the lowermost of apertures 2 and falls into the lower part of the toilet bowl (not shown) where the composition entrained by the flushing water disinfects and perfumes the water and the surfaces of the toilet bowl adjacent thereto.

Referring now to Figures 3 to 5, there is shown a cage-like container formed of plastics material and comprising a chamber 21 for accommodating a block 22 (shown in dotted lines) of a compositlon for treating the water in a toilet bowl. (Itc desired, the composition may be in the form of a liquid or gel instead of a block). The contalner Includes a hook like portion in the form of a resilient strap 23 formed of polypropylene and including a surface (not shown) formed of elastomeric material (e.g. constituted by a strip of soft elastomeric material similar to strip 13) for contacting the rim of the bowl. The strap 23 has one end integrally formed with the chamber 21 and a free end which is generally T-shaped in order to constitute a zone 24 of increased area. Ordinarily, because of its resilient nature, the strap coils up about itself with the free end in the middle of the coil as shown in Figure 4. In use, the consumer manually uncoils the strap and fits it over the rim 15 of the toilet bowl so that the T-shaped zone 24 engages the outer surface of the rim 15 and the chamber 21 is located in the path of the -Flushing %7ater during the flushing operation. The flushing water thus enters the chamber 1 via apertures 26 in -ts upper surface and contacts the block 22 before leaving the chamber via lower apertures 27 and falling into the lower part of the toilet bowl. As it passes over the block 22 in the chamber, the flushing water enr-rains some of the composition and this composition then treats the water in the toilet bowl.

The presence of the zone 24 of larger area at the end of the strap of the hook-like portion 'Lmproves the gripping action of the hook-like portion on the rim and thus retains the container more securely in its desired position on the rim.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cage-like container for accommodating a block formed from a composition for treaLing -Lhe water in the toilet bowl of a water closet, which container includes a hook-like portion formed of plastics material for fitLing over the rim of the toilet bowl, said hook-like portion having secured thereto a str4lp cf elastomeric material for contactinq the rim.

2. A container for accommodat-ing a composition for treating the water in the toile-- bo-,Ji of" a wazer closet, which conLainer includes a hook-like portion for fitCing over the rim of the toi1et bowl, said hook Z like portion including an inner surface formed of a material having a high coefficient sf friction. for contacting the rim.

3. A container as claimed in ciai-. 2, wherein the hook-like portion includes an o---zer sur-face, opposite to said inner surface, formed orc material having a high coefficient of friction.

4. A container as claimed in claim 2 or 3, -.,herein the material having a high coeffficient of friction is an elastomeric material.

5. A container as claimed in c-':ai-. 4 -,..,herein the or each surface formed of elastomeric material is a surface of a strip of elastomeric material secured -to the hook-like portion.

6. A container as claimed in any sne of claims 1 to S formed of polypropylene.

7. A container as claimed in any -:receding claim, wherein the hook-like portion is in:he form of a resilient strap having, at its --:-'--ee end, a zone of increased area for encTagement,,-_-:ih --'-e -rim of the bowl.

8. A container as claimed in cllai-. 7, wherein the resilient strap is formed of po-lyprcpylene.

9. A container as claimed in cla.J-. 7 or 8 wherein the free end of the sLrap is generally ---shaped.

10. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the resilient strap has a tendency to coil up on itself with the free end in the middle of the coil

11. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A container substantially as here-inbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

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