|Publication number||US6654971 B1|
|Application number||US 10/314,976|
|Publication date||Dec 2, 2003|
|Filing date||Dec 10, 2002|
|Priority date||Dec 10, 2002|
|Publication number||10314976, 314976, US 6654971 B1, US 6654971B1, US-B1-6654971, US6654971 B1, US6654971B1|
|Original Assignee||Eric Middleton|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (6), Referenced by (13), Classifications (10), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention relates to an air freshening device for toilets.
Air freshening devices are generally known in the art. Air freshening devices, including those which are used in toilets, conventionally are sources of air freshening medium and are activated by a user for example manually, to produce an air freshening medium spray. The existing devices can be further improved.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air freshening device for toilets, which is a further improvement of the existing devices.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in an air freshening device for a toilet which has a source of air freshening medium; and an actuating element operatable by a seat of a toilet so that when a user stands up from the seat said actuating element causes discharge of the air freshening medium from said source.
When the air freshening device is designed in accordance with the present invention, then automatically when a user after using the toilet stands up, the air freshening device causes discharge of an air freshening medium.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an air freshening medium discharge unit of a device for air freshening according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view showing a spring unit of the device according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a view showing a toilet bowl with a toilet seat and an air freshening device in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an air freshening unit of a device for air freshening in toilets in accordance with the present invention. The air freshening unit is identified in whole as reference numeral 1. The air freshening unit 1 has a handle which is identified as reference numeral 2 and is depressable downwardly and liftable. A source of air freshening medium, for example a container, is identified in reference numeral 3. The interior design of the source is not shown, but it can be provided with a medium discharge unit formed as in well known atomizers for atomization of air freshening substances, perfumes, etc. The only difference is that the medium discharging unit is formed in an opposite way, in particular when the lever 2 is pressed down it does not activate a discharge, but when the lever 2 is moved upwardly it does activate the discharge. The lever 2 can be moved upwardly by a spring which shown only schematically and identified with reference numeral 4.
The device in accordance with the present invention further has a spring unit identified as a whole with reference numeral 5. It can be composed of springs 6 which are located between a rubber base 7 and a plastic cover 8. The spring unit 5 is placed between the upper surface of a toilet bowl 9 and a seat 10. The lever 2 of the air freshening unit is also placed in the same area under the seat 10. The air freshening medium source 3 can be attached for example to the side of the toilet bowl. Alternatingly, the air freshening medium source 3 can be attached to the toilet bowl, for example by a bracket which is insertable into the interior of the toilet bowl, as well known for sanitation packages for the toilet bowls.
The device for air freshening in accordance with the present invention operates in the following manner.
When a user sits on the toilet seat, it depresses the spring unit and pushes the lever of the air freshening unit down. After the user has used the toilet and stands up, the spring unit biases the-seat upwardly and the seat lightly smoves upwardly so that the lever of the air freshening unit is urged by a spring upwardly as well. As a result of the upward movement of the lever, the air freshening medium is discharged from a discharge opening of the air freshening unit.
Therefore it is clear that the device automatically provides discharging of an air freshening medium in places where a toilet bowl installed, as a result of simple user's leaving the toilet seat after he or she has used the toilet.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions and methods differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an air freshening device for toilets, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|US3316559 *||Jun 10, 1964||May 2, 1967||Behrends Dale F||Toilet hygienic device|
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|US3605133 *||Aug 5, 1969||Sep 20, 1971||Quercia Flaminaire Sa||Spraying devices capable of being mounted on a lavatory pan|
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US7676856||Jun 22, 2007||Mar 16, 2010||Graham Ii Richard D||Deodorizing device for toilet bowls|
|US8615820 *||Mar 21, 2007||Dec 31, 2013||Reckitt Benckiser Llc||Dispensing devices|
|US8685304||Mar 27, 2012||Apr 1, 2014||Reckitt Benckiser Llc||Process for manufacturing improved dispensing devices|
|US8858879||Jun 23, 2009||Oct 14, 2014||Reckitt Benckiser Llc||Method for production of dispensing devices|
|US8966674||Jun 23, 2009||Mar 3, 2015||Reckitt Benckiser Llc||Dispensing device for toilet bowl|
|US20070067897 *||Sep 23, 2005||Mar 29, 2007||Graham Richard D Ii||Deodorizing device for toilet bowls|
|US20070204388 *||Mar 6, 2006||Sep 6, 2007||Greg Zyskowski||Automated remote bathroom air freshener|
|US20080313795 *||Jun 14, 2007||Dec 25, 2008||Reckitt Benckiser Inc.||Dispensing Devices and Compositions Therefor|
|US20090235443 *||Mar 21, 2007||Sep 24, 2009||Reckitt Benckiser, Inc,||Dispensing Devices|
|US20100180365 *||May 27, 2008||Jul 22, 2010||Yocheved Shasho||Toilet disinfectant dispensing system and method therefor|
|US20100192291 *||Sep 15, 2008||Aug 5, 2010||Reckitt Benckiser Inc.||Cageless Dispensing Device|
|US20110209276 *||Jun 23, 2009||Sep 1, 2011||Reckitt Benckiser Inc.||Dispensing device for toilet bowl|
|US20110223059 *||Jun 23, 2009||Sep 15, 2011||Reckitt Benckiser Inc.||Method for Production of Dispensing Devices|
|International Classification||A61L9/14, E03D9/00, A61L9/12|
|Cooperative Classification||A61L9/12, E03D9/007, A61L9/14|
|European Classification||A61L9/14, A61L9/12, E03D9/00F|
|Jun 18, 2007||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Dec 2, 2007||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Jan 22, 2008||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20071202