GB2314065A

GB2314065A - Container with compartment for air freshener

Info

Publication number: GB2314065A
Application number: GB9612073A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Arthur Charles Chown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-06-10
Filing date: 1996-06-10
Publication date: 1997-12-17
Also published as: GB9612073D0

Abstract

A container 2 comprises a main compartment 4 preferably containing toilet cleaning fluid 6, and an auxiliary compartment 8 for air freshening material 10. The auxiliary compartment has at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures 18 through which the air freshening material can evaporate. These apertures have closure means, preferably formed as a removable sticky label 20. The auxiliary compartment may fit on top of a screw cap for the container, or on the base of the container (see figure 3), and may be integrally formed with the container, or secured to it. The quantity of air freshener may be such that it runs out at the same time as the cleaning fluid.

Description

A CONTAINER HAVING TOILET CLEANING MATERIAL This invention relates to a container having toilet cleaning material.

Containers having toilet cleaning material are well known. The containers are usually in the form of bottles or flasks and they are usually made from a plastics material. The containers are often kept in water closets or bathrooms ready for use in cleaning the toilet.

The present invention is based on the realization that a simple modification to the known containers will enable them to serve an additional and highly beneficial purpose.

Accordingly, this invention provides a container comprising a main compartment containing cleaning material for use in cleaning a toilet, and an auxiliary compartment containing air freshening material for freshening the air in the vicinity of the toilet.

The container of the present invention is thus able to be used in the cleaning of the toilet and additionally to provide air freshening material for freshening the air in the vicinity of the toilet. Thus there is provided in one container the two materials which are most often required in a water closet or a bathroom, namely a toilet cleaning material and an air freshening material.

The auxiliary compartment may comprise at least one aperture through which the air freshening material evaporates, and closure means for closing the aperture. Usually, there will be a plurality of the apertures.

Preferably, the closure means is a removable sticky label. The sticky label may be provided with advertising material and/or instructions for use. Other types of closure means may be employed if desired.

The auxiliary compartment may be on a neck part of the container. Alternatively, the auxiliary compartment may be on a base part of the container. Generally, the auxiliary compartment can be located where desired and convenient on the container.

The auxiliary compartment may be secured to the remainder of the container by being integrally formed with the container or by being separately formed and then secured to the container by adhesives, ultrasonic welding, a push on friction fit, a screw fit or any other desired and suitable means.

The container of the present invention will usually be in the form of a bottle or flask. The container may however be in other forms such for example as a tin.

Generally, the container may be of any desired size and/or shape. The container may be made of any desired and suitable type of material including flexible plastics materials. The container may be opaque or transparent as desired. Generally, the container may be of any known shape and material, except that it will additionally be provided with the auxiliary compartment containing the air freshening material.

The air freshening material may be any known and suitable air freshening material.

The air freshening material in the auxiliary compartment will be formed such that it is timed to run out when the cleaning material runs out. For any given size of container, it can be reasonably accurately estimated how long the cleaning material in the main compartment will last during normal use of the container.

When this time is determined, then an appropriate amount of the air freshening material can be used in the auxiliary compartment so that the toilet cleaning material and the air freshening material run out substantially at the same time. Many air freshening materials are in the form of a gel and the thinner the gel is, then the faster is the rate of evaporation of the air freshening material.

The toilet cleaning material may be any of the presently used toilet cleaning materials.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a first container; Figure 2 shows the top of an auxiliary compartment forming part of the container shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a side view of a second container.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a container 2 comprising a main compartment 4 containing cleaning material 6 for use in cleaning a toilet (not shown). The container 2 also comprises an auxiliary compartment 8 containing air freshening material 10 for freshening the air in the vicinity of the toilet.

The auxiliary compartment fits on top of a cap 12 for the main compartment 4. The cap 12 is a screw cap which screws over a neck part 14 of the container 2.

The auxiliary compartment 8 has a top face 16 which is provided with a plurality of apertures 18 through which the air freshening material 10 evaporates. The apertures 18 are closed by closure means in the form of a removable sticky label 20. The sticky label 20 may contain advertising material and/or instructions to remove it to allow the air freshening material 10 to escape through the apertures 18.

When the cap 12 is removed from the neck part 14 of the container 2, then the toilet cleaning material 6 can be dispensed from the main compartment 4 in a conventional manner. When the cap 12 is replaced on the neck part 14 of the container 2 and the sticky label 20 has been removed, then the air freshening material 10 can escape through the apertures 18 and freshen the air in the vicinity of the toilet. Thus the container 2 becomes a dual purpose container 2 which is used for cleaning the toilet and also freshening the air in the vicinity of the toilet.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a container 2 which is somewhat similar to the container 2 shown in Figure 1 and in which similar parts have been given the same reference numerals.

In Figure 3, it will be seen that the auxiliary compartment 8 with the air freshening material 10 has been placed at the bottom of the main compartment 4. Thus the container 2 as shown in Figure 3 actually stands on the auxiliary compartment 8. The apertures 18 are provided around the side 22 of the auxiliary compartment 8 so that the apertures 18 can allow the air freshening material 10 to escape once the sticky label 20 (only partially shown in Figure 3 for ease of illustration) is removed.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the shape of the container 2 may be different from that shown in the drawings. Also, the auxiliary compartment 8 may be provided at another position on the main compartment 4. Any suitable and appropriate type of cleaning material 6 may be employed so that, for example, the cleaning material 6 may be a purpose produced toilet cleaning material or it may be a cleaning material that is a multipurpose type of cleaning material such for example as a disinfectant, a bleach or the like.

Claims

CLAMS

1. A container comprising a main compartment containing cleaning material for use in cleaning a toilet, and an auxiliary compartment containing air freshening material for freshening the air in the vicinity of the toilet.

2. A container according to claim 1 in which the auxiliary compartment comprises at least one aperture through which the air freshening material evaporates, and closure means for closing the aperture.

3. A container according to claim 2 in which there is a plurality of the apertures.

4. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the closure means is a removable sticky label.

5. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the auxiliary compartment is on a neck part of the container.

6. A container according to any one of claims 1 - 4 in which the auxiliary compartment is on a base part of the container.

7. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the auxiliary compartment is secured to the remainder of the container by being integrally formed with the container.

8. A container according to any one of claims 1 - 6 in which the auxiliary compartment is secured to the remainder of the container by being separately formed and then secured to the container.

9. A container according to any one of the preceding claims and in the form of a bottle or flask.

10. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the air freshening material in the auxiliary compartment is such that it is timed to run out when the cleaning material runs out.

11. A container substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.