Device actuated by toilet flushing for dispensing deodorant

This is a device for dispersing a vapor, such as a deodorant or fragrant vapor, into the air when a movable element, such as the actuation arm of a flush toilet, is moved from a usual `at rest` position. A switch responsive to movement of the movable element from its `at rest` position closes a circuit which energizes an electrically actuated means, such as a motor or a solenoid operated lever, which when actuated opens the valve of a container from which a vapor of a deodorant or fragrance is dispersed under pressure. The device is particularly adapted for dispersing a deodorant into the air in a bathroom or lavatory when the toilet therein is flushed.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a device for eliminating unpleasant odors in 
bathrooms and the like. In particular it is a device for dispersing a 
fragrance or deodorant into the air of a bathroom when a conventional 
flush type toilet therein is flushed. 
That efforts have been made for a number of years to try to find an 
effective system for eliminating unpleasing ordors in bathrooms is 
evidenced by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,550 and the prior art 
patents described therein. It is believed the reason that devices and 
systems for eliminating odors in bathrooms are not in significant use 
today despite the number of different ones known in the prior art is 
because previously known systems and devices are too complex and/or 
expensive to be practical or have not worked effectively. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bathroom deodorizing 
device that is practical, economical and effective. 
The device of the present invention uses readily available conventional 
pressurized containers of deodorant or fragrance and is adapted to be 
connected to a conventional flush toilet mechanism without having to 
provide expensive special fixtures or having to modify the mechanism. The 
device makes economical use of the deodorant or fragrance by dispensing it 
only when the toilet is flushed, which is usually the time when it is most 
effective. 
The device of this invention consists of a support for a conventional 
container of a deodorant or fragrance under pressure which has a valve 
that releases vaporized deodorant or fragrance when the valve is 
depressed. The support also carries a battery operated electrical means 
for rotating a lever arm in a direction to depress the container valve to 
release vapor. The electrical means may be any suitable means such as a 
d.c. electric motor connected through a gear train to rotate the lever 
arm, or, alternatively, a solenoid having its armature linked to rotate 
the lever arm. 
The electrical means is actuated by a tilt switch that is mounted on the 
actuation arm of the toilet flushing mechanism in a position such that the 
switch closes a cicuit which connects the electrical means to batteries to 
actuate the electrical means and cause the container valve to be opened 
and dispense vapor when the actuation arm of the flushing mechanism moves 
from its usual `at rest` position when the toilet is flushed. 
It will be appreciated that though this device is adapted primarily for use 
in combination with a conventional flush toilet in a bathroom, it has 
other useful applications. The essential feature of the device of this 
invention is that it releases a vapor when a movable element, such as the 
actuation arm of a toilet flushing mechanism, moves in a predetermined 
direction from a usual `at rest` position. Thus the device can be 
connected to dispense a deodorant or fragrance when a garbage can lid is 
raised, or to disperse vaporized insect repellant when a screen door is 
opened, for example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a deodorant or fragrance dispensing 
device 10 of this invention is primarily adapted and intended for use with 
a conventional flush type toilet that has a water tank 11 in which the 
flushing mechanism is located. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical flushing 
mechanism. The particular structure and arrangement of various brands and 
types of flushing mechanisms vary to quite an extent, but substantially 
all include an actuation arm 12, or comparable element, which is raised or 
moved in some predetermined direction when a handle 13, outside the tank 
11, is turned to actuate the flushing of the toilet (not shown). The 
flushing action is initiated by turning and releasing the handle 13. 
When the handle 13 is turned an arm 14, which is fixed to the handle and 
which extends through the tank wall into the tank, has an offset, crank 
type end portion, as shown, that extends under and lifts up the actuation 
arm 12 as the handle 13 turns. The ctuation arm 12, pivoted at 12a, is 
connected by a chain or cable 15 to a ball valve 16 which is seated in the 
tank outlet 17. The tank outlet 17 leads to the toilet bowl (not shown). 
Lifting the actuation arm 12 thus lifts the ball valve 16 up from the 
outlet 17, opening the outlet and permitting water from the tank to rush 
out through the outlet to swirl through and flush out the toilet bowl. 
When the handle 13 is released the actuation arm 12 returns to its usual 
`at rest` position shown in FIG. 1. The momentary movement of the 
actuation arm 12 when the toilet is flushed is utilized to actuate the 
deodorant or fragrance dispensing device 10 of this invention in a manner 
subsequently described below. 
As the water level drops from its usual level, indicated at 20, when the 
flushing action is initiated, and the water rushes out the outlet 17, the 
ball valve 16 floats above the outlet opening by its own buoyancy and by 
the action of the water rushing out under it. Then as the water level 
drops to about the level of the outlet 17 the ball valve 16 reseats in the 
outlet 17 and stops the outflow. 
Also as the water level in the tank 11 drops from the level 20 a float 18 
on the end of an arm 19 follows the level down so that the arm 19, pivoted 
at 21, swings; the end of arm 19 having the float 18 on it swings down and 
the opposite end swings up. The latter end is connected through a link 22 
to a lower arm 23, which is pivoted at 24, and lifts the lower arm 23. The 
arm 23 has a vertical link 25 hanging from it and the lower end of the 
link 25 is attached to a gate element 26 of inlet valve mechanism 27. When 
the arm 23 is lifted, as above, it lifts the link 25 and gate element 26 
from its usual closed position, shown in FIG. 1, and permits water from a 
water supply inlet pipe 28 to flow into the tank 11 through an inlet 29. 
When the ball valve 16 recloses the outlet 17, as described above, water 
entering the tank through the inlet 29 raises the water level back up to 
its usual level 20. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, the device 10 of this invention includes a 
support 31 having a base 32 and a vertical, semi-cylindrical support 
portion 33 for supporting a conventional cylindrical container 34 of a 
deodorant or fragrance. The container 34 contains a deodorant or fragrance 
under pressure so that it disperses from the container as a vapor through 
an outlet 35 of the valve 36 at the top of the container (as viewed in 
FIG. 2) when the valve body 37 is pressed in toward the body of the 
container. 
The container 34 and the elements of the device on the support 31 are 
enclosed by a housing 38 which fits down over the elements and seats on 
the base 32 of the support 31. A hole 39 (FIG. 1) is provided through the 
housing at a point in line with the valve outlet 35 of a container 34 on 
the support for vapor dispersed from the container valve outlet 35 to pass 
through. 
When a container 34 is in position on the support 31 its valve 36 is opened 
to disperse a deodorant or fragrant vapor therefrom by means of a lever 
arm 40. The lever arm 40 is pivoted at 41 and has an end 42 adapted to 
engage and depress the valve body 37 when the lever arm 40 is rotated in 
the valve depressing direction by associated mechanism of the device. 
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 the lever arm 40 is rotated to open 
the valve 36 by a small d.c. electric motor 43 which has an armature 44 
with a gear 45 fixed on the end. When the motor is energized it turns its 
gear 45 which, by connection through a train of gears--gear 46, gear 46a 
coaxially attached to gear 46, and a gear 47--rotates a gear 47a that is 
coaxially attached to gear 47. The gear 47a meshes with a gear sector 48 
on the end of the lever arm 40 opposite the end 42 of the lever arm, so 
that the gear 47a causes the lever arm 40 which is to rotate in the valve 
depressing direction when the motor 43 is energized. 
In the conventional type of pressurized spray containers, as illustrated by 
the container 34 depicted in the drawings, the valve 36 is spring loaded 
to close when the pressure that was applied to depress and thereby open it 
is released. In the practice of the present invention it has been found 
satisfactory to rely upon this spring loading of the valve 36 to close the 
valve 36 and return the lever arm 40 back upward from its valve opening 
position after the motor 43 has been energized to open the valve 36. That 
is, a simple unidirectional d.c. motor is suitable for the effective 
practice of the invention. When the power to the motor 43 shuts off, the 
spring loading of the valve 36, and possibly also reverse pressure built 
up in the gears of the gear train, pushes and moves the end 42 of the 
lever arm 40 back up to let the valve close; the motor then being in an 
unenergized state its armature 44 is free to rotate in a reverse direction 
to permit the aforesaid reverse rotation of the lever arm 40. 
Electric power to operate the motor 43 is supplied by two 11/2 volt dry 
cell batteries 49a and 49b which are positioned between positive and 
negative contacts 50 and 51, respectively. 
The application of power from the batteries 49a, 49b to operate the motor 
43 is controlled by a tilt switch 52 which is connected between the 
positive contact 50 and a positive terminal 53 of the motor 43. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 the tilt switch 52 is mounted on the actuation 
arm 12 of the toilet flushing mechanism in a position to close, and thus 
energize the motor 43, when the right hand portion (as viewed in FIG. 1) 
of the actuation arm 12 is moved up from its usual, `at rest`, position 
when the toilet is flushed. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the tilt switch 52 is attached by a screw 53 to the 
body portion 54 of a clamp 55 which is adapted to clamp onto the actuation 
arm 12. As shown the clamp 55 is suitably a C type clamp in which a screw 
56 through one arm of the C bears against the portion of arm 12 which 
passes through the center of the C. The screw 56 captures the actuation 
arm portion between itself and a V-shaped seat 57 in the other arm of the 
C. 
The tilt switch 52 may be any conventional type which is constructed to 
open an electric circuit in which it is included when the switch body is 
in one position and which closes, normally by gravity, when the switch 
body is moved in a predetermined direction from said one position. In the 
structure shown the position of the tilt switch 52 is adjustable relative 
to the position of the actuation arm 12 by adjusting the rotational 
position of the clamp 55 relative to the cross section of the actuation 
arm and then by adjusting the position of the tilt switch 52 relative to 
the clamp body 54. This latter is accomplished by loosening the screw 53, 
rotating the tilt switch around the screw 53 until the switch is in the 
desired position (open or closed) and then fixing the position by 
tightening the screw 53 again. 
In this manner the tilt switch is adjusted for it to be open when the 
actuation arm 12 is in its usual `at rest` position shown in FIG. 1, and 
to close when it tilts up as the actuation arm 12 swings up when the 
handle 13 is turned to flush the toilet. 
Referring to FIG. 2, the amount and duration of the vapor spray dispersing 
from the valve 36 of the container 34 is determined by the length of time 
and the amount the valve body is depressed for opening the valve 36. 
In the structure shown the amount and length of time the valve body 37 is 
depressed to open position is determined by the distance the end 42 of the 
lever arm 40 must travel to engage and depress the valve body 37. The 
position of the lever arm 40 and the amount it rotates is not variable and 
the adjustment for the duration and amount of vapor spray to be dispersed 
is made by adjusting the vertical position of the container up or down on 
the support 31 relative to the end 42 of the lever arm 40. This is 
accomplished by a jackscrew mechanism 58 in the base 32 of the support. It 
consists of a screw 59 rotatably fixed through the base 32 with a 
cup-shaped member 60 threaded onto the upper end of the screw. The 
cup-shaped member is prevented from rotation relative to the screw 59 by 
vertical grooves 61a and 61b in the opposite sides of the member 60 which 
are engaged by vertical posts 62a and 62b projecting up from the support 
base 32. 
The upper end of the cup-shaped member 60 bears against the bottom of the 
container 34 on the support 31. Turning the screw 59 thus moves the 
cup-shaped member 60 up or down between the posts 62a, 62b and moves the 
container 34 up or down relative to the end 42 of the lever arm 40. 
FIG. 5 shows an alternative means for operating the container valve when 
the toilet is flushed. In this embodiment the motor 43 is replaced by a 
solenoid 63 which has an armature 64 linked to rotate a lever arm 40' 
about a pivot point 41' by a pin 65 extending from the side of the 
armature and projecting through a slot 66 in the lever arm 40'. The 
operation of this embodiment is the same as the operation of the 
embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2 except that in this 
embodiment when the toilet is flushed electric power from the batteries 
49a, 49b actuates the solenoid 63 whose armature 64 thus moves upward (as 
viewed in FIG. 5). This causes the lever arm 40' to rotate in the 
direction in which the lever arm end 42' moves down to engage and depress 
the valve 36 so that the valve opens and a deodorant or a fragrant vapor 
is dispersed into the air from the valve outlet 35.