GB2222611A - Lavatory cistern cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

A lavatory cleaner comprises a container which is impervious to water except for one or more openings, containing a solid water-soluble hypochlorite composition and a particulate ballast agent, such as stone chippings.

Description

LAVATORY CLEANER This invention relates to a dispensing device for lavatory cleaning chemicals.

Lavatory bowls (WC bowls) are cleaned and sanitised by the application of various chemicals. One type of chemical is the acid or acid salt, usually in the form of fine crystals or powder. These have a cleaning action against lime scale etc, but are not effectively germicidal.

Other lavatory freshening agents include chlorinated benzene derivatives and other perfuming agents having little cleaning or germicidal activity.

The only lavatory cleaner of any certainty is based on chlorine or, more particularly, hypochlorite. Liquid formulations are well known and are generally sprinkled or squirted into the bowl, often from a squeezable bottle. Tablet formulations for incorporating in the cistern are known, but have the difficulty that they continue to dissolve all the time they remain in contact with one filling of water. This means that the longer the period between flushes, the more concentrated is the cleaning dose applied.

There is a need for a simple dispenser of chlorine-based cleaning material which provides a reasonably even dosage of chemicals and which remains in position during the emptying and refilling of the tank.

According to the present invention the chlorinereleasing chemicals are placed in a relatively squat container which is impervious except for temporarily sealed openings, together with a particulate ballast agent.

The container is relatively squat, that is to say its diameter is generally at least as big as its height, and preferably approximately the same or slightly larger than its height. It is constructed of any suitable impervious material, typically a plastic moulding, in particular a polyalkylene such as polyethylene. Part of the container is provided with openings to allow water to flow in and chlorine solution to diffuse out. These openings are temporarily sealed for storage, the seals being removed immediately prior to placing the container in the cistern. Alternatively, temporary sealing can be achieved by providing weakened areas in the container which can be punched out for use.

Preferably, the container takes the form of a frustroconical tub, for example formed of high density polyethylene, with a snap-on lid formed of, for example.

low density polyethylene with one or more apertures temporarily sealed with an adhesive patch, or alternatively one or more weakened zones defining areas to form apertures when pushed out by moderate pressure.

Inside the container is placed a hypochlorite tablet, covered with stone chippings. The stone chippings provide ballast weight and prevent the container floating in the cistern and also prevent it being displaced or capsised. The packing of the stone chippings should be loose enough to allow water and hypochlorite solution to pass through.

In use. the apertures in the container are opened, and the container is placed at the bottom of the cistern.

Water immediately enters through the apertures and starts to dissolve the hypochlorite tablet. As this water is in static proximity to the hypochlorite, it dissolves material up to a limiting concentration.

Thus, if the cistern is not flushed for some time, the rate of dissolution of the hypochlorite should be reduced after a while, limited only by the speed of diffusion of the concentrated hypochlorite solution from the container into the cistern. This is to be contrasted with the situation where the tablet is openly accessible to the water, where dissolution continues until the whole tank is full of concentrated solution.

After flushing, the dilute hypochlorite solution in the tank is replaced by fresh water which is then dosed by diffusion of concentrated solution from the container.

In a typical embodiment of the container according to the invention a frustroconical tub about 60mm high and about 70mm diameter at the top, tapering to about 60mm diameter at the bottom is formed of high density polyethylene. Surrounding the top of the tub is a lip onto which a circular lid can be press-fitted. Around the top of the tub, below the lip, is provided an annular gutter, placed at a depth below the lip sufficient to receive the edge of a sidewall of the lid.

The lid is formed of low density polyethylene and comprises a conventional snap-on lid having a peripheral region adapted to clip over the lip of the tub in a resilient manner, so as to prevent easy removal. The centre of the lid is formed as a recessed diaphragm, the centre of which is provided with an interrupted region forming an aperture.

The container is loaded with a cylindrical tablet of hypochlorite (about 60g) and a layer of about 50mm (about 200g) of stone chippings (average particle size 4mm).

In normal use, the tablet lasts up to four months and remains in place on the bottom of the cistern throughout that time.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS:

1. A lavatory cleaner comprising a relatively squat container which is impervious to water except for one or more temporarily sealed openings, containing a solid water-soluble hypochlorite composition and a particulate ballast agent.

2. A lavatory cleaner according to claim 1, in which the particulate ballast agent comprises stone chippings.

3. A lavatory cleaner according to claim 1 or claim 2 substantially as herein described.