Patent Abstract:
A toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser adapted for placement inside a toilet tank that includes a hanger for hanging the dispenser from the top of the sidewall of the tank, a dispenser housing into which a liquid cleanser and/or deodorizer obtained from any source is inserted into a collapsible bag, and means for controlling the rate at which cleanser and/or deodorizer is dispensed from the dispenser into a toilet bowl as water entering the dispenser forces cleanser and/or deodorizer out of the dispenser.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This utility patent application claims benefit under U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/387,386, entitled “Toilet Cleaning Dispenser System”, filed on Sep. 28, 2010. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to cleaning and deodorizer material dispensers for toilet tanks and toilet bowls. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Toilet cleaning and deodorizing dispensers typically include a water soluble material formed into a tablet or into a cartridge. The tablet is usually hung from the side wall of the toilet bowl or tank. When placed in the toilet bowl, the cleaning and deodorizing tablet is attached to the top side wall of the toilet bowl by a supporting means, such as wires. When the toilet is flushed and the tank is refilling with water, some water passes over the bowl side wall mounted tablet and dissolves some of the cleaning and deodorizing material into the toilet bowl. Since the cleaning and deodorizing tablet must be capable of dissolving quickly due to the short time in which water passes over the tablet as the tank refills with water, such tablets get used quickly. This requires the frequent replacement of the tablet. Since the tablet is located in the toilet bowl, manually replacement can be messy and undesirable. 
     In addition, cleaning and deodorizing agents in the cleanser tablets for the dispenser may, for example, contain chemicals which are harmful upon direct contact with human skin and eyes. Replacement cleanser tablets which are commonly sold separately require the user to make direct contact with the tablets when they are removed from their packaging to be mounted inside a toilet bowl, and with old tablets inside a toilet bowl that are mostly dissolved and are being replaced. In addition, such cleanser tablets are often brightly colored, typically blue or green, and may tempt younger children to touch or even ingest the cleaning agent, especially since they are mounted inside a toilet bowl where a child can see and touch them. Further, these prior art toilet cleaning and deodorizing dispensers typically require that the user purchase the cleanser/deodorizer tablets from the manufacturer of the dispenser. 
     Further, prior art toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispensers typically only use cleanser and deodorizer material that are only obtained from the manufacturer of the dispenser. As a result the cost of the cleanser and deodorizer material is usually somewhat costly. 
     Thus, there is a need in the art for a toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser of which the cleaning and/or deodorizing material never needs to be touched during un-packaging, and during installation, replacement or removal, and which is not readily accessible to children. In addition, there is a need in the art for a toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser that will readily utilize and function with cleaning and deodorizing materials available from many sources. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Before installation of the toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser, when a toilet is flushed water commences flowing from the fill valve into the toilet tank to refill the tank in the manner known in the art. In addition, some of the water exiting the water fill valve is routed to flow via a first tube into the toilet tank overflow tube and there through into the toilet bowl. With the novel toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser the tube from the water fill valve is removed from the overflow tube and is connected to an input to the dispenser. A second or output tube connected to the output of the dispenser is inserted into the overflow tube. As water from the fill valve is filling the toilet tank water pressure in the first tube causes liquid cleanser and/or deodorizer inside the dispenser to exit the dispenser via the second tube and flow into the overflow tube and thence into the toilet bowl. The cleaning and/or deodorizing material cleans and deodorizes the toilet bowl in a manner well known in the art. 
     Thus, the novel toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser is quickly and easily mounted inside of a toilet tank without tools and is suspended from a top of a side wall on the inside of the toilet tank. More specifically, the toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser comprises a container that is suspended from the top of the side wall inside the toilet tank. The container has a screw on cap that is temporarily removed to insert liquid cleanser and/or deodorizer material into the container without a person coming into contact with the material. The cleanser and/or deodorizer material in the container is dispensed from a collapsible bag inside the container and via the overflow tube into the toilet bowl as the toilet tank is filled by the water fill valve after the toilet had been flushed. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the invention there are two bags inside the container, one having a cleaning material therein and the other having another material, such as a deodorizer, therein and both are dispensed from the container as determined by the user when the toilet is flushed. Both materials are dispensed in the same manner. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood upon reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with drawing in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a frontal perspective view of an assembled toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser before it is mounted inside a toilet tank; 
         FIG. 2  shows a rearward perspective view of an assembled toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser before it is mounted inside a toilet tank; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the novel toilet cleaning dispenser showing its various components; and 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a toilet tank with the novel toilet cleaning dispenser system mounted therein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a frontal perspective view of the assembled toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser  10  before it is mounted inside a toilet tank  24  ( FIG. 3 ). Dispenser  10  comprises a container bottom  26  with a sealing snap on top  27 . Attached to the rear of container bottom  26  is a back plate  16  with a hanger  21  having an inverted “J” shaped top that is used to hang dispenser  10  on the inside of a toilet tank  24  suspended from the top edge of the tank  24  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Top  27  has a filler hole  31  ( FIG. 3 ) that has cap  20  screwed thereon to seal hole  31 . Liquid cleanser and/or deodorizer material (not shown) are inserted into a flexible, watertight bag  29  (see  FIG. 3 ) that is mounted inside dispenser container  26  via filler hole  31  after screw on cap  20  has been temporarily removed. 
     Top  27  also has a hole  28  there through into which is mounted in a water tight manner a rigid, hollow, “L” shaped, hollow tubing connector  22 . Connected to tubing connector  22  is a piece of flexible tubing  17 . The end of tubing  17  not connected to connector  22  is inserted into overflow tube  12  in toilet tank  24  as shown in  FIG. 4  when dispenser  10  is installed. Hole  28 , connector  22  and tubing  17  comprise the output from dispenser  10  from which liquid cleanser and/or deodorizer is output into overflow tube  12  and thence into the toilet bowl (not shown) ( FIG. 4 ). 
     Dispenser container  26  has a hole  36  through its side ( FIG. 3 ), near its bottom, into which is mounted in a water tight manner a rigid, hollow, “L” shaped, hollow tubing connector  23 . There is a piece of flexible tubing  30  connected to connector  23 . The end of flexible tubing  30  not connected to connector  23  is connected to the conventional water outlet of fill valve  14  inside toilet tank  24  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Connector  23  and flexible tubing  30  comprise the input to dispenser  10  to apply water pressure inside dispenser  10  that causes liquid cleanser and/or deodorizer materials inside a bag  29  ( FIG. 3 ) inside container  26  to be dispensed via output connector  22  and tubing  17  into water overflow tube  12  only while toilet tank  24  is being refilled following flushing. 
     Flexible tubing  30  at the water input has a control device  18  mounted thereon, as seen in all Figures, that controls the water pressure that is applied to the interior of dispenser  10  beneath bag  29  ( FIG. 3 ), and thereby controls a small amount of water that can flow through flexible tubing  30  into but not out of dispenser  10  each time the toilet is flushed. Control device  18  is well known and is extensively used in hospitals to control the flow of medication supplied intravenously using an IV needle. 
       FIG. 2  is a rearward perspective view of the assembled toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser  10  before it is mounted inside a toilet tank. The elements shown in  FIG. 2  are shown in and have already been described with reference to  FIG. 1  so the description is not repeated here. Better shown in  FIG. 2  is back plate  16  with a hanger  21  having an inverted “J” shaped top that is used to hang dispenser  10  on the inside of a toilet tank  24  suspended from the top edge of the tank  24  as seen in  FIG. 4 . Back plate  16  may be permanently attached to dispenser  10  or it may be detachably attached thereto for ease of removing dispenser  10 . 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the novel toilet cleaning dispenser system showing its various components. There is container  26  that has a hole  36  through its side, near its bottom, into which is mounted in a water tight manner a rigid, a hollow, “L” shaped, hollow tubing connector  23  as also shown in  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2 . There is a piece of flexible tubing  30  connected to connector  23  as shown. The end of flexible tubing  30  not connected to connector  23  is input to the top of the conventional water outlet of fill valve  14  inside toilet tank  24  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Connector  23  and flexible tubing  30  comprise the water pressure input to dispenser  10  that causes liquid cleanser and/or deodorizer (not shown) within bag  29  inside container  26  of dispenser  10  to be dispensed via tubing  17  into overflow tube  12  ( FIG. 4 ) only while toilet tank  24  is being refilled following flushing. 
     There is a hole (not shown) through the bottom of container  26  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) that is sealed by a flexible sealing plug  37  when it is pushed in the direction of arrow W 3  into the bottom hole. When it is desired to drain any water inside container  26  plug  37  is removed from the bottom hole (not shown) to permit the water to drain out. 
     There is another hole  33  that is through the top of a side wall of container  26  that is normally sealed by a flexible sealing plug  34  when it is pushed in the direction of arrow W 2  into hole  33 . When it is desired to refill bag  29  inside dispenser  10  with liquid cleaner and/or deodorizer, plug  34  is momentarily removed to relieve any pressure inside sealed dispenser container  26  on the outer side of bag  29 . Other pressure relief mechanisms may also be utilized. Plug  34  is reinserted into hole  33 , screw on cap  20  is removed and liquid cleaner and/or deodorizer is inserted into bag  29  via opening  31 . When bag  29  is completely full, or is filled to a desired level, cap  20  is screwed back onto opening  31  to reseal dispenser  10 . In this process a person never has to come into contact with cleanser and/or deodorizer. 
     Inserted into container  26  during assembly of dispenser  10  is a flexible, non-porous, water tight bag  29 . The top of bag  29  is fitted over the top lip of container  26  and dispenser cover  27  is snapped onto the top of container  26  and locked thereon by a locking lip  35 . This creates a watertight seal at the top of bag  29 . In this position any water that enters the bottom of container  26  via hole  36  cannot mix with cleanser and/or deodorizer inside bag  29 . Bag  29  may be replaced by removing snap on cover  27 , removing an old or damaged bag  29 , installing a new bag  29  as described above, and snapping cover  27  back onto the top of container  26 . 
     As previously described a liquid cleaner and/or deodorizer (not shown) is inserted directly into flexible, watertight, non-porous bag  29  via cap  20  and threaded hole  31 . The cleaner and/or deodorizer material may be from any source and manufacturer. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the invention a single bag  29  may be replaced by two bags (not shown) that are positioned side by side inside dispenser container  26 , and a second hole with screw on cap for refilling is provided in container cover  27 . Additionally, a second hole  28  with a second connector  23  and tubing  17  are provided over the second bag. Thus, each bag has its own filler cap, connector hole, connector and tubing. With this configuration the top of container must be modified to provide cross members so that each of the bags has a surface over which to mount their open tops, and the underside of dispenser cover  27  must be modified to provide pressure to seal the entire top edge of each bag so no water entering container  29  can enter the two bags. 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a toilet tank  24  with the novel toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser  10  mounted therein. As shown in  FIG. 4  and as previously described with reference to  FIG. 2 , the top “J” hook  21  of back plate  16  attached to the rear side of container  26  is hooked over the top edge  25  of toilet tank  24  as shown. This is easily done with no tools being required. Initially, there is a piece of flexible hosing (not shown) having one end connected to a water outlet  15  of fill valve  14  and the other end inserted into the top of overflow tube  12  that is removed. In its place one end of new tubing  32  is connected to water outlet  15  of fill valve  14  and its other end is connected to the top end of tubing  30  which is connected to tubing connector  23  which is mounted in the bottom side wall of container  26  through hole  36 . Rather than two pieces a single continuous piece of flexible tubing  30  may be utilized. When the toilet is flushed, and fill valve  14  is refilling toilet tank  24 , water pressure and water are applied through tubing  32 , in the direction indicated by the arrow W 1 , and through tubing  30  and “L” shaped connector  23  into the input at the bottom of dispenser container  26 . The toilet is flushed in a conventional manner using handle  19  to lift flapper  13 . The chain that normally connects handle arm  11  and flapper  13  is well known in the art and is not shown to avoid cluttering the drawing. 
     The amount of water that can flow through tubing  31  is adjusted using control device  18  is a small amount. This water enters container  26  via opening  36  below any bag  29  or bags mounted inside container  26  of dispenser  10 . The amount of water that enters dispenser  10  at hole  36  applies water pressure to the bottom of the outer surface of bag  29  or bags that are mounted inside dispenser container  29 . This pressure causes an amount of liquid cleaner and/or deodorizer (not shown) to be expelled from dispenser  10  via tubing  17  that is equal in volume to the water entering the bottom of dispenser  10 . 
     After a dispenser  10  is initially installed into toilet tank  24  as shown in  FIG. 4  its cap  20  is removed and liquid cleansing and/or deodorizing material is inserted into container  26  via fill hole  31 . When the cleansing and/or deodorizing material is depleted cap  20  is again removed and additional cleansing and/or deodorizing material is inserted into container  26  through the fill hole  31  (not shown in  FIG. 4  but shown in  FIG. 3 ) through top  27  of dispenser  10 . As this is done the person doing the filling does not come into physical contact with the cleansing and/or deodorizing material. As previously described, when refilling bag  29  inside dispenser container  26 , plug  34  (or another pressure relief valve) is first momentarily removed to relieve any pressure on the outside of bag  29  that might cause residual cleansing and/or deodorizing material to be ejected from the top of dispenser  10  when cap  20  is removed to refill the dispenser. 
     The parts of dispenser  10 , except for tubing  17  and  30  and flow control device  18 , may all be made of plastic, but other materials may be used. Flexible bag  29  may be made of different materials. The cleansing and/or deodorizing materials utilized with toilet cleanser and deodorizer dispenser  10  are liquids that can pass through filler hole  31  through top  27  ( FIG. 3 ). 
     While what has been described herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention, and some alternatives by being able to change the location of the input and output connectors and their associated tubing, those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4