WO2002050378A1

WO2002050378A1 - Soluble solids dispenser

Info

Publication number: WO2002050378A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2001/000207
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Douglas Macgregor Osborne
Original assignee: Osborne James Douglas Macgrego
Priority date: 2000-12-18
Filing date: 2001-12-18
Publication date: 2002-06-27
Also published as: AU2002231383A1

Abstract

The invention provides a dispenser (10) which includes a chamber (12) for receiving a soluble solid soap (14). The chamber (12) has an inlet port (16) and an outlet port (18). In between the inlet port (16) and the outlet port (18) is located a filter element (20) for retaining the soap (14) within the chamber thereby permitting the soap to dissolve at a required rate when water (not shown) passes between the inlet port and the outlet port. The filter element (20) is in the from of a perforated disc having a number of projections spread over its soap facing surface (22) for spacing the soap from the filter element thereby to inhibit the soap from clogging the filter element and permitting the water to pass around the soap thereby to dissolve soap (14) closest to the filter element (20) as well as the soap furthest from the filter element .

Description

Soluble Solids Dispenser

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a soluble solids dispenser for water soluble substances, such as soap, shampoo, fertilizer, pesticide, and the like.

The specification and drawings of South African Patent Application number 2000/7568, from which this application claims priority, is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference as if reproduced here.

Background to the Invention

The inventor is aware of WO 0041608 in which is disclosed a soap dispenser including a retaining means for supporting solid soap, the retaining means being provided with an aperture. The arrangement is such that, in use, when water is caused to flow into the retaining means, soap dissolves into the water, and the water and the dissolved soap is thereby dispensed through the aperture without physical contact between a user and the solid soap. The figures which accompany WO 0041608 show the soap dispenser being attached to a tap (fawcet) by a pipe clamp using a screw and displaceable between a position in which water flows through the soap dispenser and a position where the water does not pass through the dispenser, thus, it may be summized that the soap dispenser is a fixture. Furthermore, the disclosure does not address how the problem of soap sticking to the dispenser and blocking the aperture is dealt with.

Thus, the inventor has recognized a need for a soluble solids dispenser in which at least some of the problems associated with the prior art soap dispenser are at least partially addressed.

Summary of the invention

The invention provides a soluble solids dispenser including: a chamber for receiving one or more soluble solid, the chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port; a filter element locatable within the chamber for retaining the one or more soluble solid within the chamber thereby permitting the soluble solid to dissolve at a required rate when the water passes between the inlet port and the outlet port; and one or more spacers for spacing the one or more soluble solids from the filter element thereby to inhibit the one or more soluble solid from clogging the filter element.

The inlet port may be configured to permit toolless removal of the dispenser from a tap. The inlet port may include a female threaded portion sized and dimensioned complementarily to the male threaded portion of the tap with which it is to be used.

The inlet port may be made of a resiliently deformable plastics material to permit the placement thereof over a multitude of tap sizes and configurations by streching the inlet port and placing it over the tap outlet whereafter the inlet port contracts towards its original dimensions and grips the tap.

The inlet port may be in the form of a conventional clip-on type tap connection to permit rapid clip-on clip-off use thereof.

The inlet port may be configured to co-operate with a standard thermoplastic rubber tap extender for attachment of the dispenser to a tap regardless of the fitting type or size.

The outlet port may be threaded to permit attachment to a further device having a complimentarily threaded attachment portion.

The outlet port may be in the form of a nozzle.

The chamber may include a top and a bottom part which are attached together screw threadedly, by clips, by frictional engagement, or the like. The filter element may include a plurality of protruding formations which serve as the spacers.

The filter element may be in the form of a perforated plate.

The filter element may be removable from the chamber for cleaning.

The dispenser may be made of a resiliently deformable material.

The invention extends to a soap dispenser in the form of a dispenser as described above.

The invention extends to a dispenser for car shampoo, dog shampoo, fertilizer, pesticide, and the like, in which the inlet port is sized and dimensioned to be attached to a hose pipe for use in situ at the desired point of use.

Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example onlyu, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

Figure 1 shows, in sectional view, a dispenser of the invention; and Figure 2 shows, in three dimensional projection, a filter element for use with the dispenser of Figure 1.

In the Figures, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a soluble solids dispenser broadly in accordance with the invention.

The dispenser 10 is shown in use as a soap dispenser.

The dispenser 10 includes a chamber 12 for receiving a soluble solid soap 14. The chamber 12 has an inlet port 16 and an outlet port 18. In between the inlet port 16 and the outlet port 18 is located a filter element 20 for retaining the soap 14 within the chamber thereby 12 permitting the soap 14 to dissolve at a required rate when water (not shown) passes between the inlet port 16 and the outlet port 18.

The filter element 20 is in the from of a perforated disc having a number of 6 mm projections spread over its soap 14 facing surface 22 for spacing the soap 14 from the filter element 20 thereby to inhibit the soap 14 from clogging the filter element 20 and permitting the water to pass around the soap 14 thereby to dissolve soap 14 closest to the filter element 20 as well as the soap 14 furthest from the filter element 20. The water runs down the inner walls 24 of the chamber 12 flowing over the soap 14 and deflecting of the filter element 20 thereby to enhance dissolution of the soap 14 closest to the element 20 and entraining air into the water and soap mixture thereby assisting in proper dissolution of the soap 14.

The inlet port 16 is in the form of a conventional clip-on type tap connection sold in South Africa by Gardenia™ and others, to permit rapid clip-on clip-off use thereof. Thus, the inlet port 16 is configured to co-operate with a standard thermoplastic rubber tap extender (not shown) for attachment of the dispenser 10 to a tap regardless of the fitting type or size.

The outlet port 18 is externally threaded to permit attachment to a further device, such as a nozzle (not shown), having a complimentarily threaded attachment portion.

The dispenser 10, as shown, is blow moulded from a plastics material.

The inventor believes that the invention, as illustrated, has advantages over known systems in that it does not require tools to put in place or to remove, improve dissolution of the soluble solid by the use of spacers, has no moving parts, and may be blow moulded from inexpensive plastics material.

Claims

1. A soluble solids dispenser including: a chamber for receiving one or more soluble solid, the chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port; a filter element locatable within the chamber for retaining the one or more soluble solid within the chamber thereby permitting the soluble solid to dissolve at a required rate when the water passes between the inlet port and the outlet port; and - one or more spacers for spacing the one or more soluble solids from the filter element thereby to inhibit the one or more soluble solid from clogging the filter element.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inlet port is configured to permit toolless removal of the dispenser from a tap.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the inlet port includes a female threaded portion sized and dimensioned complementarily to the male threaded portion of the tap with which it is to be used.

4. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet port is made of a resiliently deformable plastics material to permit the placement thereof over a multitude of tap sizes and configurations by stretching the inlet port and placing it over the tap outlet whereafter the inlet port contracts towards its original dimensions and grips the tap.

5. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inlet port is in the form of a conventional clip-on type tap connection to permit rapid clip-on clip-off use thereof.

6. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet port is configured to co-operate with a standard thermoplastic rubber tap extender for attachment of the dispenser to a tap.

7. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outlet port is threaded to permit attachment to a further device having a complimentarily threaded attachment portion.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7, wherein the outlet port is in the form of a nozzle.

9. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chamber includes a top and a bottom part which are attached together.

10. A dispenser as claimed in claim 9, wherein the top and bottom part are attached screw threadedly, by clips, by frictional engagement, or the like.

11. A dispenser as claimed in claim 10, wherein the filter element includes a plurality of protruding formations which serve as the spacers.

The filter element may be in the form of a perforated plate.

12. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the ^• filter element is removable from the chamber for cleaning.

13. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which dispenser is made of a resiliently deformable material.

14. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims whenever made by a blow moulding process.

15. A soap dispenser in the form of a dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

16. A dispenser for car shampoo, dog shampoo, fertilizer, pesticide, and the like, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, in which the inlet port is sized and dimensioned to be attached to a hose pipe for use in situ at the desired point of use.

17. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 , substantially as herein described and illustrated.

18. A new dispenser substantially as herein described.