WO2013157028A1

WO2013157028A1 - Static liquid dispenser

Info

Publication number: WO2013157028A1
Application number: PCT/IT2013/000114
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sauro Tongiani; Ioletta LAZZARONI
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-04-18
Filing date: 2013-04-18
Publication date: 2013-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2014-10-18
Also published as: ITSP20120004A1

Description

STATIC LIQUID DISPENSER

The present invention relates to a static liquid dispenser.

In particular, the present invention relates to a dispenser for liquids, capable of delivering in an automatic manner a controlled amount of said liquid, without the use of any valve or other movable element, but simply by effect of hydrostatic pressure exerted by an external liquid in function of the variation of the level of the latter.

More particularly, by way of example but without limiting it, the invention relates to the field of automatic dispensers of disinfecting liquid inside the tank for sanitary bowls, both external and concealed ones, the external liquid being water which, by the effect of unloading and reloading of the tank at each rinse, respectively reduces and restores its fill level.

Currently, dispensers available on the market are characterised by the presence of one or more valves, whose opening and closing is operated mechanically by levers, for example connected to electrical timed devices. In particular, these electrical timed devices control the opening of the valve at predetermined time intervals, regardless of whether or not the flush tank is used.

These solutions have the limitation that, with time, the valves and in particular the seals of the valves themselves are subject to wear and require maintenance. Furthermore, with reference to the systems with electrical timed devices, the delivery is not functional to actual needs, the costs of production and installation are high, the maintenance requirements are high, especially taking into account the fact that such electrical devices work in presence of high levels of humidity.

In this context it is included the solution according to the present invention, which is aimed at providing a dispenser capable of delivering a predetermined amount of liquid without the use of any type of valve or other movable element, and even less of electrical control devices, but rather as a result of the hydrostatic pressure exerted inside the dispenser in consequence of the increase of the outside liquid level due to the restoration of the level itself after each use. These and other results are obtained according to the present invention by proposing a dispenser of liquids, capable of delivering in an automatic manner a controlled amount of said liquid, the structure of which is essentially constituted solely by fixed components, and possibly by components that are easily removable to allow the filling of the dispenser with the liquid to be dispensed.

Purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide a static liquid dispenser that allows to overcome the limitations of the dispensers according to the prior art and to obtain the technical results previously described.

Further object of the invention is that said dispenser can be realised with particularly low cost, both as regards production costs and as regards management costs.

Not least object of the invention is to propose a static liquid dispenser which is simple, safe and reliable.

It is therefore specific object of the present invention a static liquid dispenser, consisting of a reservoir, a lower conduit, which extends from the upper inner portion of said reservoir up to a set distance below said reservoir; an upper conduit, which extends from the lower inner portion of said reservoir up to an outer portion of said reservoir; and means of positioning of the dispenser with respect to a container of an external liquid whose level can vary from a minimum level to a maximum level, said means of positioning allowing the end of said lower conduit to move from a first position, completely emerged with respect to said minimum level of said external liquid, to a second position, immersed to a certain depth with respect to said maximum level of said external liquid.

Alternatively, according to the invention, said means of positioning may include at least three legs, of a length greater than that of said lower conduit, or a vertical sliding guide, formed by a rod and by a passing through hole that passes through said dispenser, or still a housing of said dispenser.

In particular, according to the present invention, said dispenser may comprise a removable cover, to facilitate the reloading of the liquid inside it, or it can not comprise it, in this case the dispenser being able to be used only once, until exhaustion, and then replaced.

It is evident the effectiveness of the dispenser of the present invention, which is characterised in particular by the following advantages:

- extremely low cost, because of the particular constructive simplicity;

- high reliability, for the fact of not being subject to breakage and wear, being constructed without moving parts and/or valves, and in particular without any electrical, pneumatic or mechanical control;

- ease of installation, which is reduced to a simple positioning, since the dispenser of the invention does not require any connection to any electric, mechanical or pneumatic driving force.

The present invention will now be described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to some embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 shows an elevation view, partially in section, of a static liquid dispenser according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows an elevation view, in perspective, of a static liquid dispenser according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 3 shows an elevation view, in section, of the dispenser of

Figure 2, in a first position of use;

- Figure 4 shows an elevation view, in section, of the dispenser of Figure 2, in a second position of use;

- Figure 5 shows an elevation view of a static liquid dispenser according to a third embodiment of the present invention, installed in a tank for sanitary bowls of the external type;

- Figure 6 shows a side elevation view of a static liquid dispenser according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, installed in a tank for sanitary bowls of the type concealed in the wall;

- Figure 7 shows a front elevation view of the dispenser and the tank of Figure 6, and

- Figure 8 shows a side elevation view of a static liquid dispenser according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, installed in a tank for sanitary bowls of the type concealed in the wall.

Referring to Figure 1 , a static liquid dispenser according to the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 and is constituted by a reservoir 11 , a lower conduit 12, an upper conduit 13, a cover 14 and three legs 15. The interior of the reservoir 11 is filled with a liquid 16, above the surface of the liquid is present an upper area 17 occupied by air (or a gas which is the same gas of the environment outside of the reservoir 11).

In particular, the lower conduit 12, the upper conduit 13 and the cover 14, through its removal, put in communication the reservoir 11 with the exterior.

Specifically, the lower conduit 12 extends below the reservoir 11 for a length less than that of the legs 15 and inside the reservoir 11 until its upper area 17. In this way, the lower conduit 12 connects the upper area 17 within the reservoir 11 with the outside, its dimensions (width and length of the portion below the reservoir) are defined in the design phase in function of the amount of liquid to be dispensed, as will be better explained in the following description, with reference to the operation of the dispenser of the present invention.

The upper conduit 13 extends from the internal base of the reservoir 11, without being in contact with the same if not partially, up to the outside of the upper portion of the reservoir 11 itself, in this way connecting the lower portion of the reservoir 11 with the outside. The width of the upper conduit 13 is defined in the design phase in function of the amount of liquid to be dispensed and the width of the lower conduit 12.

The material with which the static liquid dispenser is made according to the embodiment of the present invention shown with reference to Figure 1 must be such as to ensure its flotation on the external liquid 20, even when the reservoir is completely full of liquid 16.

The operation of the static liquid dispenser according to the embodiment of the present invention shown with reference to Figure 1 is the following. When the external liquid 20 has a level 19, or maximum level 19, for example coincident with the filling level of a flush tank, the dispenser 10 floats on the external liquid 20, the legs 15 failing to reach the bottom 24 of the flush tank and the outer portion with respect to the reservoir 11 of the lower conduit 12 being completely immersed in the external liquid 20. In this position, an upper portion of the lower conduit 12 is filled with air (or more generally with the gas of the external environment) and a remaining lower portion is filled with the external liquid 20, due to the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the external liquid 20 in respect of the air or gas in the reservoir 1 1. In consequence of the lowering of the level of the external liquid 20, for example due to the emptying of the flush tank within which the dispenser 10 is disposed, the dispenser 10 goes downward continuing to float on the external liquid 20. At one point, proceeding with the reduction of the level of the external liquid 20, the legs 15 of the dispenser 10 reach the bottom 24, the dispenser assuming a fixed position in front of which, in consequence of further decrease in the level of the external liquid 20 , also decreases the hydrostatic pressure that the same, through the lower conduit 12, exerts on the air or gas in the reservoir 11 , with the consequence that also the level of the external liquid 20 within the lower conduit 12 lowers, creating a vacuum that causes a depression in the reservoir 11 , in consequence of which, within the reservoir 11 , a certain amount of external gas or air is sucked through the upper conduit 13.

Proceeding with the reduction of the level of the external liquid 20, until reaching the minimum level 18, the lower tube 12 emerges completely from the external liquid, inside the lower tube 12 entering air or the external gas directly from its lower end.

In the next step, the level of the external liquid 20 begins to climb again, from the minimum level 18 up to the maximum level 19, at first the level of the external liquid 20 reaching the lower end of the lower conduit 12, then reaching the level at which the dispenser 10 begins to float and finally reaching the maximum level 19.

When the level of the external liquid 20 reaches the lower end of the lower conduit 12, the external liquid 20 begins to enter inside the lower conduit 12, pushing the air or gas inside it upwards, into the reservoir 11. Inside the reservoir 11 , in particular within its upper area 17, the air or gas is compressed, pushing the liquid 16 down and making a part of it go out through the upper conduit 13. The delivery of liquid 16 ends when the dispenser 10 starts to float.

The flow of disinfectant in output from the dispenser 10 is easily determined in the design phase intervening on the diameter and length of the lower conduit 12 and the upper conduit 13, and on the internal dimensions of the reservoir 11 and on the length of the legs 15 with respect to the lower conduit 12 .

Referring to Figures 2-4, is shown an embodiment of the static liquid dispenser of the present invention, the operation of which is substantially identical to that already described with reference to the embodiment shown in Figure 1 , but the structure of which, for the rest substantially identical to that already described, is distinguished by the fact that, in place of the legs 15, the dispenser 10 is provided with a vertical passing through hole 21 , inside which is inserted a rod 22, arranged vertically, with respect to which the dispenser 10 is free to move translating from bottom to top and vice versa, the rod providing at the same time a system for guiding the movement of floatation of the dispenser 10 on the external liquid 20 and at the same time, as will be illustrated in the following, controlling the minimum level reachable by the dispenser itself.

In particular, the rod 22 is secured to a base 23, of a weight appropriate to ensure the stability of the same rod, and through said base 23 rests on the bottom 24 of the container, for example of a flush tank of sanitary bowls, inside which is placed the same dispenser 10. The rod 22 is also provided with an envelope 25, or a disc, of such dimensions as to not allow the passage inside the hole 21 of the reservoir 11 and arranged in correspondence of the minimum height defined by the vertical movement of the dispenser 10 .

In the embodiment shown in Figures 2-4, it is also shown how the lower conduit 12 is made with a removable piece with respect to the reservoir 11, while the upper conduit 13 is formed integrally with the reservoir 11 itself. Finally, the structure of the reservoir 11 comprises an enlargement 26, which has the function of balancing the weight of the lower conduit 12 and to ensure the balance of the dispenser 10 around the rod 22.

Referring to Figure 5, there is shown a further embodiment of the static liquid dispenser according to the present invention, in which the dispenser 10 is placed in a fixed position and easily accessible from outside the structure of a flush tank 27 for sanitary bowls of the external type. In particular, the structure of the tank 27 is equipped with a rinsing compartment 28, arranged in raised position with respect to the maximum level 19 of the liquid 20 of the tank 27, and provided with three openings, respectively, a first lower opening 29 for the passage of the lower conduit 12 of the dispenser 10, a second lower opening 30, in a position slightly lowered relative to the support surface of the dispenser 10, below the output of the upper conduit 13, for the passage of the liquid dispensed from it towards the underlying part of the tank, and a top opening 31 to allow the passage of perfumed essences from spreading into the environment.

According to this embodiment, using a liquid disinfectant to be dispensed through the dispenser 10 inside which some essence is added, during the ascent phase of the external liquid 20 and the consequent dispensing of the liquid disinfectant, each cycle a certain amount of new disinfectant full of odors escapes from the reservoir 11 and wets a number of surfaces of the tank and of the compartment 28 that accommodates it. During the same phase of raising of the external liquid 20, the same compresses the air contained inside the tank, which is thus expelled through the upper opening 31 created near the wetted surfaces, charging of odorous particles that drags with it protruding in the environment.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, there is shown a further embodiment of the static liquid dispenser according to the present invention, in which the dispenser 10 is placed in a fixed position and easily accessible from outside the structure of a flush tank for sanitary bowls of the type concealed in the wall. In particular, the structure of the flush tank is equipped with a support surface 32, placed in a raised position with respect to said tank, for the support of the dispenser 10, and directly accessible from the plate 33 for actuating the unloading of the tank. In particular, the dispenser 10 is accessible through a door 34, together with an inner handle 35 and an opening 36 to facilitate the passage of odors to the environment in which the flush tank is placed. Figures 6 and 7 show also the buttons 37 for actuating the unloading of the tank.

As shown in Figure 6, the reservoir 11 can also be made in one piece with the door 34.

To make it even easier the installation and removal of the dispenser

10 on the support surface 32 behind the plate 33 of the flush tank, the reservoir 11 and the lower conduit 12 are separable, the lower conduit 12 being rigidly coupled to the flush tank and being therefore necessary, for coupling with the reservoir 11 , a coupling system between a spout 38 that exits from the tank 11 and a fitting 39 for connection with the lower conduit, as well as an o-ring seal 40, which allows a coupling with the reservoir 11 and is inserted into its housing.

In both cases respectively shown with reference to Figure 5 and Figures 6 and 7, the reservoir 11 is easy to clean, as well as the compartment that receives it. It is also very important the fact that the removable reservoir 11 allows it to be filled and cleaned on to a common sink, preventing drops of liquid disinfectant can fall to the ground, possibly ruining the floor.

Finally, with reference to Figure 8, is shown a further embodiment of the dispenser 10 of the present invention, of the disposable type, ie devoid of lids which enable the reinstatement of the liquid contained inside.

The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that variations and / or modifications can be apported by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection , as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1) Liquid dispenser (10), comprising a reservoir (11), a lower conduit (12), which extends from the upper inner portion of said reservoir (11) down to a fixed distance below said reservoir (11), an upper conduit (13), which extends from the lower inner portion of said reservoir (11) up to an outer portion of said reservoir (11), as well as means of positioning (15, 22, 23, 25, 28, 32 ) of the dispenser (10) with respect to a container (27) of an external liquid (20) the level of which can vary from a minimum level (18) to a maximum level (19), said means for positioning (15, 22, 23 , 25, 28, 32) allowing the end of said lower conduit (12) to move from a first position, completely emerged with respect to said minimum level (18) of said external fluid (20), to a second position, immersed to a certain depth with respect to said maximum level (19) of said external liquid (20).

2) Liquid dispenser (10) according to claim 1 , characterized in that said means for positioning comprise at least three legs (15), of a length greater than that of said lower conduit (12).

3) Liquid dispenser (10) according to claim 1 , characterized in that said means for positioning comprise a vertical sliding guide, constituted by a rod (22) and by a passing through hole (21) which passes through said dispenser (10 ).

4) Liquid dispenser (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for positioning comprise a recess (28) for accommodating said dispenser (10).

5) Liquid dispenser (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a cover (14).