Abstract:
Containers, in particular containers for cleaning and deodorizing products which are hung over the rim of a toilet bowl, have an outer container having an upper and a lower section. The upper section has a number of apertures, which enable flushing water to enter the container. Located within the outer container is an inner container for holding the composition in liquid or gel form. The flushing water dissolves a portion of the liquid or gel and washes back out of the apertures.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/GB00/02167, filed Jun. 15, 2000, which was published in the English language on Dec. 21, 2001, under International Publication No. WO 00/77310, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to improvements in or relating to containers, and in particular containers for cleaning and deodorizing products which are hung over the rim of a toilet bowl.  
           [0003]    A very large number of such containers are already known for compositions containing constituents such as anti-microbial agents, perfumes, bleaching agents, colorants, and/or surface active agents for use in treating the water in toilet bowls. Ordinarily, the compositions are located in cage-like containers, suspended near the rim of a toilet bowl in a position where, on each occasion the bowl is flushed, the flushing water enters the container and contacts the composition to entrain some of the composition before flowing into the lower part of the bowl. Thus, the water remaining in the bowl, after flushing, includes some of the composition which disinfects or otherwise treats the water and the surfaces of the bowl.  
           [0004]    Conventionally, such compositions have been in the form of coherent self-supporting blocks. Such a device is described in French published patent application FR-A-2579647, in which a self-supporting block of disinfectant material is supported on a grid. As the disinfectant material is colored, to prevent leakage of colored solution into the toilet bowl between flushes, a solid block of decolorizing product is located in a channel beneath the grid. Between flushes, colored solution drips onto the decolorizing block and is decolored to prevent it staining the toilet bowl in case it does leak out.  
           [0005]    However, more recently, compositions in the form of gels and liquids have been proposed. In containers for such gels and liquids, measures have to be taken to ensure that the gel or liquid does not leak from the container between flushing operations. Such a device is described in EP-A-0 446 795, which provides a container divided into two adjacent sections. In one section there is located a porous material, into which the cleaning composition has been absorbed. Water enters the device and entrains some of the disinfecting liquid from the porous material, before being washed out.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a container for a liquid or gel type water treating composition where these problems are minimized.  
           [0007]    According to the invention, there is provided a container for a water treatment composition in liquid or gel form for use in a toilet bowl comprising an outer container having a lower section and an upper section, said upper section being provided with a plurality of apertures for the ingress and egress of flushing water, and further comprising an inner composition container having an open mouth, the inner container being positioned within the outer container, such that the mouth is directed toward the apertures, wherein the inner container is removable and contains a water treatment composition in liquid or gel form, and wherein the inner container has a substantially constant cross-section.  
           [0008]    Preferably, the two parts of the outer container are connected together to enable the outer container to be opened. Preferably, the two container parts comprise the upper and lower sections connected by a horizontal hinge. Alternatively, the two container parts comprise side sections which are connected together vertically by a clip or snap-fit arrangement and separable from each other.  
           [0009]    The lower section may be provided with baffles for supporting the inner container. Furthermore, at least one drainage port may be provided in the lower section of the outer container and provided in the base of the inner container.  
           [0010]    In a preferred embodiment a hook shaped handle is provided for supporting the container on a rim of a toilet bowl.  
           [0011]    Moreover, a locking mechanism may be provided for securing the container parts of the outer container in a closed position.  
           [0012]    The present invention is thus advantageous in that a known type of container for a solid block can easily be adapted for use with a gel or liquid so that the consumer has a choice of form of cleaning composition. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawing. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawing an embodiment which is presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawing:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art outer container and an inner container (disassembled) according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art container  10  for a solid block (not shown) of water soluble water treatment composition. The container  10  has a lid  11 , which is pivotally hinged at one edge, by means of hinges  13 , to a base section  12 . A hook shaped handle  14  is attached to the base section  12 . The handle  14  enables the container  10  to be suspended from the rim of a toilet bowl in the path of the flushing water. The handle  14  is provided with a locking mechanism formed by detent means  15 , which can be secured within catch  16  located on the top of the lid  11  to hold the container  10  closed. This locking mechanism  15 ,  16  enables the container to be opened to replace a used up block with a new one.  
         [0016]    Alternatively, the container may comprise two parts, preferably in the form of cups or shells, which are connected together vertically, by a clip or snap-fit arrangement. Such an arrangement may have the mouth of one container part snap fitting inside the mouth of the other part. Alternatively, one part may be provided with clips which enable both parts to be held together. The two container parts may be wholly separated. Any references in the following pages to container lid should be considered to include references to an upper section  11  of the container.  
         [0017]    The container lid  11  is provided with a series of apertures  17 , and the base section  12  is provided with one or more drainage ports  19  and block-supporting baffles  18 .  
         [0018]    In use, the container  10  is opened by releasing the detent means  15  from the catch  16 . A block of water-treating composition is placed within the container  10  on the baffles  18 , and the lid is closed and secured in position by means of the locking mechanism. The container  10  is suspended in position in a toilet bowl from the rim of the bowl. During flushing, water will flood into the container  10  through the apertures  17 . As the water comes into contact with the block it dissolves a quantity thereof. As the flushing action continues, the water, with the dissolved part of the block floods back out of the apertures  17  and is carried down into the toilet bowl where it carries out a cleaning and disinfecting action. The ingress and egress of the water through the apertures  17  causes surfactants in the composition to foam. Foaming is seen to be an indicator of efficacy and therefore preferred by the user. Any water remaining in the base section  12  of the container  10  after flushing is completed drains out through the drainage port(s)  19 . As the block is supported on the baffles  18 , this helps to minimize contact with the water while it is waiting to drain.  
         [0019]    In the move towards liquid and gel water treatment compositions, it has been found that, while this prior art container  10  can be used for such compositions, a surprising effect has been found in the present invention by providing an inner container  20  to hold the liquid or gel. The inner container  20  may sit on baffles  18 , or the baffles  18  may be eliminated altogether. Thus, as the water flushes in through the apertures  17 , a lower proportion enters the inner container  20  to dissolve a small quantity of the gel or liquid before being flushed back out of the apertures  17 . One or more drainage ports may be provided in the outer container  10  for draining water as described above. Drainage ports may also or alternatively be provided in the bottom of the inner container  20 , to allow the drainage of any remaining flushing water from the inner container  20  into the outer container.  
         [0020]    In tests of containers having such inner containers and identical containers without inner containers it has been found that the life span of the liquid or gel increases significantly, perhaps by as much as 50%. It is thought that the reasons for this are a smaller surface area of gel exposed with the flush water, a reduction in the turbulence of flush water contacting the gel or liquid, and less leakage of the gel or liquid via the top apertures  17  in the outer container.  
         [0021]    The inner container  20  preferably has vertical sides to give a constant cross-section. This is advantageous in that during usage a constant surface area of liquid or gel is exposed which means that the fragrancing diffusion is constant. Furthermore, the cleaning action is constant.  
         [0022]    The present invention has a further advantage in applications including so called “blue” formulations, which tint the water in the toilet bowl blue. The containers for these formulations generally include a siphon in the base or side of the container, which allows the drainage of flush water during the flush action but has a delaying action to stop the flow of residual water, which has been stained blue on contact with the gel or liquid between flushes. This is the water which has been left behind after the main flush and, if allowed to drip or drain between flushes, could cause a blue staining on the toilet bowl. In the case of the present invention, the drainage ports  19  in the outer container  10  are eliminated for blue liquid or gel applications, while the drainage ports in the base of the inner container  20  are retained. Thus, any residual water remaining in inner container  20  will drain into the base section  12  of the container after flushing and will remain there until the next flush. There is thus no leakage of the blue formulation out of the outer container for staining the toilet bowl. When the toilet is next flushed, the new flush water which enters the outer container will carry away the residual blue stained water with that flush.  
         [0023]    The container  10  may be opened and the inner container  20  refreshed with a quantity of gel or liquid from a bottle or other appropriate storage means. Alternatively, a small filling nozzle may be affixed to the container lid  11 , so that the container may be filled without opening the lid  11 . In such an embodiment, the container  10  may be provided as a single enclosure without a separate lid and base hinged together. The use of a separate inner container, however, advantageously provides a further convenient filling solution, in that new pre-filled inner containers  20  with a removable top, say of foil or plastic, can be sold with which users can simply replace old empty containers  20 . Alternatively, a new cartridge of gel can be placed in the inner container.  
         [0024]    The inner container may be supplied in different colors to the external container  10  which may provide an aesthetic contrasting effect.  
         [0025]    The containers  10 ,  20  may be manufactured from any suitable waterproof material. Plastics are preferred and more preferably polypropylenes.  
         [0026]    Any known or other suitable gel or liquid composition may be used.  
         [0027]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.