Device for dispensing portioned amounts

Abstract

A device (V) for discharging apportioned quantities, for example, of a WC cleaning/disinfecting liquid and/or of a fragrance, having a supply container ( 2 ) in which liquid product ( 1 ) is accommodated, the liquid product ( 1 ), associated with a closed-off space ( 3 ), forming a first free liquid level (Sp 1 ), and, to achieve precisely reproducible apportioned quantities of liquid product, the closed-off space ( 3 ) is formed at the top of the supply container ( 2 ), and there is formed in the lower region (U) of the supply container ( 2 ) a product opening ( 6 ) which connects to a first collecting reservoir ( 10 ), in which liquid product ( 1 ), at a height which closes the product opening ( 6 ), forms a second free liquid level (Sp 2 ), and there is provided a second collecting reservoir ( 11 ) which is connected to the first collecting reservoir ( 10 ) beneath the free liquid level (Sp 2 ) and has an overflow (Ü) which serves for supplying quantities of liquid product in metered portions.

1 . Device (V) for discharging apportioned quantities, for example, of a WC cleaning/disinfecting liquid and/or of a fragrance, having a supply container ( 2 ) in which liquid product ( 1 ) is accommodated, the liquid product ( 1 ), associated with a closed-off space ( 3 ), forming a first free liquid level (Sp 1 ), characterized in that the closed-off space ( 3 ) is formed at the top of the supply container ( 2 ), and in that formed in the lower region (U) of the supply container ( 2 ) is a product opening ( 6 ) which connects to a first collecting reservoir ( 10 ), in which the liquid product ( 1 ), at a height which closes the product opening ( 6 ), forms a second free liquid level (Sp 2 ), and in that there is provided above a second collecting reservoir ( 11 ) which is connected to the first collecting reservoir ( 10 ) beneath the free liquid level (Sp 2 ) and has an overflow (Ü) which serves for supplying quantities of liquid product in metered portions.  
     
     
         2 . Device according to  claim 1  or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the product opening ( 6 ) has an openable closure ( 57 ).  
     
     
         3 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the second free liquid level (Sp 2 ) is acted upon by a discharging air column ( 14 ) located in another closed-off space ( 13 ).  
     
     
         4 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the other closed-off space ( 13 ) is produced by a change in closure level of a medium ( 16 ) moved towards the first collecting reservoir ( 10 ).  
     
     
         5 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the medium ( 16 ) is water.  
     
     
         6 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the medium ( 16 ) is water flowing during toilet flushing.  
     
     
         7 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that, by virtue of the change in closure level, the medium ( 16 ) closes the space ( 13 ), which is initially open to the atmosphere and, at the same time, forms a first equalizing channel (I).  
     
     
         8 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that, in addition to the first equalizing channel (I), a second equalizing channel (II) is provided, one equalizing channel (I or II) constantly being open to the atmosphere.  
     
     
         9 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the second equalizing channel (II) opens out into a medium container ( 17 ) which allows a level of medium which clearly exceeds the mouth opening of the closed-off space ( 13 ).  
     
     
         10 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the overflow (Ü) lets out the apportioned quantity of liquid product ( 1 ) into the medium container ( 17 ), or in that the overflow (Ü) releases the apportioned quantity outside the medium container ( 17 ).  
     
     
         11 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the medium container ( 17 ) has an outflow ( 23 ) which is substantially smaller than a filling opening ( 18 ) in the medium container ( 17 ).  
     
     
         12 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the second equalizing channel (II) passes through a first medium container ( 17 ), and the the first equalizing channel (I) opens out into the first medium container ( 17 ).  
     
     
         13 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that there are provided two closed-off spaces ( 3 ) in which liquid products ( 1 ) are accommodated separately from one another and which discharge of the respective liquid product ( 1 ) via separate first and second collecting reservoirs ( 10 ,  11 ).  
     
     
         14 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the second free liquid levels (Sp 2 ) are acted upon by a discharging air column ( 14 ) which, at least in part, is the same for both second free liquid levels (Sp 2 ).  
     
     
         15 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized by a joint upstream medium container ( 17 ) with a collecting shell ( 35 ) on the base.  
     
     
         16 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the outlet channels ( 22 ) have different outlet cross-sections.  
     
     
         17 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that one of the outlet channels ( 22 ) allows the liquid product ( 1 ) to run onto the collecting shell ( 35 ).  
     
     
         18 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the collecting shell ( 35 ) has a smaller outlet cross-section than the outlet channel ( 22 ).  
     
     
         19 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the liquid product ( 1 ) is accommodated in an exchangeable refill container (B).  
     
     
         20 . Device according to  claim 19  or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) has a product opening ( 6 ) with an openable closure ( 57 ).  
     
     
         21 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the closure ( 57 ) is formed as a piercing membrane.  
     
     
         22 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that also formed on the refill container (B) is a part (T 1 ) of a labyrinth (L) which forms the first and/or the second collecting reservoir ( 10 ,  11 ) and/or of the overflow (Ü).  
     
     
         23 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the first and/or the second collecting reservoir ( 10 ,  11 ) is formed with a base opening ( 10 ′,  11 ′).  
     
     
         24 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) can be secured on a medium container ( 17 ) which has an opening means ( 59 ) for the product opening ( 6 ), the base part ( 60 ), which is necessary for the closure of the base opening ( 10 ′,  11 ′) in the refill container (B), being associated with this opening means ( 59 ), as a supplementary part (T 2 ) of the labyrinth (L).  
     
     
         25 . Refill container (B) as supply container for a device (V) for discharging apportioned quantities, for example, of a WC cleaning/disinfecting liquid and/or a fragrance, characterized in that, in a lower positioning region, the refill container (B) has a product opening ( 6 ) with an openable closure ( 57 ).  
     
     
         26 . Refill container according to  claim 25  or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) can be plugged onto an attachment cone ( 42 ).  
     
     
         27 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) has a connection adapter ring ( 45 ) which is fitted onto a container neck ( 44 ) and has a predetermined tearing closure membrane ( 46 ).  
     
     
         28 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the inner attachment surface of the connection adapter ring ( 45 ) has a height (H) of ½ to ⅕ of the inside diameter (D) of the same.  
     
     
         29 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) has a cross-section based on a rectangle ( 34 ).  
     
     
         30 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) has a cross-section based on a semicircle.  
     
     
         31 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the cross-section of the refill container (B) tapers, starting from its attachment base.  
     
     
         32 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the taperings, in relation to the rectangular cross-section of the refill container (B), in the plane of the container neck ( 44 ), has a dimension which is less than twice the inside diameter (D) of the connection adapter ring ( 45 ).  
     
     
         33 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that two refill containers (B) are provided as individual containers ( 2 ′,  2 ″) which, together, supplement one another to form a cross-section based on a rectangle ( 34 ).  
     
     
         34 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) has two separate chambers ( 51 ).  
     
     
         35 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the two individual containers ( 2 ′,  2 ″) or chambers ( 51 ) of the refill container (B) have neighbouring surfaces ( 49 ) facing one another in the vertical.  
     
     
         36 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the neighbouring surfaces ( 49 ) of each individual container ( 2 ′,  2 ″) allow the individual container to be disposed such that rotation is prevented.  
     
     
         37 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the neighbouring surfaces ( 49 ) are formed by a common partition wall ( 66 ).  
     
     
         38 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the neighbouring surfaces ( 49 ) or the partition wall ( 66 ), in a horizontal cross-section, run in a manner in which they are based on a straight line.  
     
     
         39 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the container-neck opening ( 50 ) of each individual container ( 2 ′,  2 ″) is offset in the direction of the neighbouring surface ( 49 ) in relation to a vertical centre line (z-z) of an individual container ( 2 ′,  2 ″).  
     
     
         40 . Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized by a different offset.  
     
     
         41 . Refill container (B), if appropriate comprising two or more individual containers ( 2 ′,  2 ″), characterized by a capability for being associated with a device (V) according to the features of the preceding claims.  
     
     
         42 . Refill container as supply container according to  claim 25  or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) has a product opening ( 6 ) with an openable closure ( 57 ).  
     
     
         43 . Refill container according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the closure ( 57 ) is formed as a piercing membrane.  
     
     
         44 . Refill container according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that also formed on the refill container (B) is a part (T 1 ) of a labyrinth (L) which forms the first and/or the second collecting reservoir ( 10 ,  11 ) and/or the overflow (Ü).  
     
     
         45 . Refill container according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the first and/or the second collecting reservoir ( 10 ,  11 ) is formed with a base opening ( 10 ′,  11 ′).  
     
     
         46 . Refill container according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that the refill container (B) can be secured on a medium container ( 17 ) of the device (V) which has an opening means ( 59 ) for the product opening ( 6 ), the base part, which is necessary for the closure of the base opening ( 10 ′,  11 ′) in the refill container (B), being associated with this opening means ( 59 ), as a supplementary part (T 2 ) of the labyrinth (L).  
     
     
         47 . Refill container according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that each chamber ( 51 ) has a dedicated sealing lip ( 79 ) running all the way round which is independent of the sealing lip ( 79 ) of the other chamber ( 51 ).