Dispensing To Water In Flush Tank Patents (Class 4/227.1)
  • Patent number: 6662379
    Abstract: A toilet cleaning dispenser system adapted for placement in a toilet tank includes a hanger, a dispenser housing and a cartridge device removably coupled to the dispenser housing. The cartridge device, which includes a cleanser tablet enclosed within a cartridge housing, is inserted into a cavity of the dispenser housing and turned in one direction to lock the device and, alternatively, in an opposite direction to unlock the device. The cartridge housing may be formed to turn as one unit, or be formed as a basket and a rotatable cap that can be turned with respect to the basket. The dispenser housing includes an inlet water trap and an outlet water trap, each comprising a pair of concentric, nested tubes that retain liquid after flushing so as to prevent fumes from exiting the dispenser housing into the toilet tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Fluidmaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack T. Nguyen, Farid Maiwandi, Dan Lodhe, Christopher A. Coppock, Troy A. Bell
  • Publication number: 20030226198
    Abstract: A dispenser for use in a toilet tank that has a water level that rises and falls. There is a replaceable bottle having a bottom, side walls, a top, an upper outlet, and an internal cavity suitable to contain a dispensable product such as a toilet bowl cleaner, and optionally a grip through hole near the bottom of the bottle. There is also an upwardly open holster for receiving the bottle in inverted fashion so that an outlet of the container is inside the holster. A majority of the outside surface area of the container side walls may be inside the holster, a valve may be associated with the holster that controls the dispensing of cleaner from the container, and/or a mounting hook on the holster may pivot between a storage position in a bottle recess and a mounting position snap locked on the holster (or is integrally linked to the holster). The bottle and holster are compatibility sloped to guide the proper positioning of the bottle in the holster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Richard P. Harbutt, David C. Snow, Peter T.M. Nott, Simon M. Conway, Kevin Harrity, Steven A. Zach
  • Patent number: 6654970
    Abstract: A liquid dispenser employs passive driving force resulting from water level variations in the water tank of a toilet to dispense a quantitative amount of liquid into toilet bowl of each Flush is disclosed. A sanitary concentrate detergent of a selected formula is filled and sealed in a bottle and mounted to a float quantitative dispensing device in a dilute buffer chamber. Through up and down movement of a float quantitative barrel, a constant amount of concentrate liquid is squeezed and isolated into the dilute buffer chamber for dilution. The whole dispenser apparatus is hung inside. the toilet tank at a desired elevation by means of suction force of a sucking disc. A dispensing probe is provided which has an inlet/outlet submerged in the low portion of the toilet tank. When toilet is flushed, most diluted detergent in the dispenser is flushed into the toilet bowl for cleaning use, and only a small amount of the diluted detergent is retained in the toilet tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Inventor: Jack F. J. Van
  • Patent number: 6651260
    Abstract: A toilet tank top with easy access to drop in deodorizing discs for effectively deodorizing and disinfecting a toilet bowl. The toilet tank top with easy access to drop in deodorizing discs includes a main lid portion designed for abutting a top edge of a toilet tank. The main lid portion has an aperture that extends therethrough. The aperture is for receiving a tank cleansing tablet. A cover member is couplable to the main lid portion. The cover member is for selectively closing the aperture such that the tank cleansing tablet is insertable into the toilet tank without removal of the main lid portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Inventor: Vernon Dodson
  • Patent number: 6582668
    Abstract: A buoyant dispensing device for dispensing a material into a body of water. An inner receptacle contains the material and has apertures to permit the material to escape therefrom. A housing having an outer receptacle houses the inner receptacle therein and has corresponding apertures. The inner and outer receptacles are rotatable and fixable with respect to one another to enable a varying degree of overlap between the apertures to control the amount of material dispensed therethrough. Vanes circumscribe the receptacles and corresponding spokes and guard rings interconnect the receptacles and the vanes and keep the receptacles spaced a predetermined distance from other objects. The vanes absorb an impulse force from the body of water and impart the impulse force to the receptacles in the form of a rotational reaction force whereby the dispensing device rotationally and linearly displaces itself within the body of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Inventor: Ivan L. Green
  • Publication number: 20030009818
    Abstract: A bottle used to dispense a fluid for cleaning a toilet bowl is configured to provide for refilling the bottle. Such a bottle includes a reservoir, a metering portion, and a cover, which is removable to expose an opening within the reservoir for refilling. The cover may include the metering portion, or it may be formed as a cap at an end of the reservoir opposite the metering portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventor: Nicholas A. Delfino
  • Publication number: 20020162163
    Abstract: A water conservation system is provided as designed for a commode in public and domestic lavatories. The component system includes a distinctive flush mechanism of two features. One of these features entails a “treatment button” which, upon depression, will effect a fluid chemical compound into standing urinated water decolorizing and sanitizing it—in effect, bringing it back to its original, “clarified” state. The water is NOT flushed. It is “treated” and remains through subsequent “treatments” until such time when solid waste is a factor necessitating a conventional, (lever) flush. The immense savings in water volume is realized upon consideration of the number of times the “treatment button” is executed. The system is revolutionary in that it dispenses with a “necessary flush” each time the toilet is used. Moreover, this novelty system addresses the occasional local, and national, drought emergency situations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventor: Chester White
  • Patent number: 6240573
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing detergent into a toilet cistern includes a container, a membrane, a floating body, and a casing. The membrane has two sides that face an entrance of the container and are connected with the floating body, respectively. The floating body is surrounded by the casing, which in turn is connected to the entrance of the container. The floating body is movable up and down within the casing and moves according to a buoyant force due to the water level in the cistern resulting in a variation of the pressure difference inside and outside the container. Thus a well-defined quantity of cleaning liquid is released from the container, as determined by the movement of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Inventor: Yu-Chi Tsai
  • Patent number: 6212692
    Abstract: An automatic quantitative regulator for dissolvent in water tank, wherein an inverted jar is clamped on the standing rod in the water tank. An upper float ball is set in the jar mouth shrunk at the bottom, and a bottom float ball is set outside of the jar mouth. Two float balls are joined together by an inner bulgy circle of the fixing coat, and the fixing coat connects with the jar mouth. The two float balls with opposite awl-shape necks are wedged to the aperture formed by inner bulgy circle. The two float balls can be adjusted clearance. When the upper float ball is moved up, the liquid in the jar will flow out gradually. As the upper float ball is moved down, the aperture will be closed. A heavy article is connected with the bottom float ball to accelerate pulling down. Furthermore, a fixed position cup is hooked on the jar, and the bottom of the fixed position cup has a perforated colander.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Inventor: Chao-Yun Hu