Anti-splash guard and deodorant pouch for urinals

Abstract

The present teachings describe one embodiment of an anti-splash guard and deodorant pouch adapted for a lavatory device having an interior region for receiving waste fluid. The anti-splash guard may include a fibrous material configured to be positioned in the interior region of the lavatory device so that splash back of fluids contacting the anti-splash guard is reduced. The deodorant pouch advantageously comprises a deodorant material sandwiched between layers of anti-splash material, such as the fibrous material that is used in the anti-splash guard. The deodorant pouch may increased a useful lifespan of the deodorant material held therein by preventing pieces of the deodorant material from falling down the drain of the lavatory device and by reducing the amount of fluid that contacts the deodorant material.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 528,508, filed on Dec. 10, 2003, and to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 558,000, filed on Mar. 31, 2004. Each of these provisional applications is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to lavatory devices and, in particular, relates to an anti-splash guard and deodorant pouch for urinals. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Conventional deodorant urinal screens, which typically contain a deodorant block, fail to reliably prevent splashing of waste fluid, such as urine, from the interior region of urinals. Some conventional deodorant urinal screens have wide slotted openings that allow large amounts of waste fluid to strike the interior walls of the urinal through the wide slotted openings. This often results in splash...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an improved deodorant containment apparatus that is configured to increase the useful life of a deodorant material contained therein. In one embodiment, a deodorant pouch containing a deodorant material, such as a deodorant block, is placed in a urinal. The pouch may be sealed so that the deodorant material must be substantially dissolved in a fluid before it will pass through pores of the layers. Accordingly, the useful life of the deodorant material may be extended by preventing pieces from breaking off and entering the urinal drain. In addition, the pouch may comprise fibrous material that is configured to reduce the direct contact of urine and other fluids on the deodorant material. Because the deodorant material may be water soluble, by reducing the direct contact of fluid with the deodorant material, the life of the deodorant material may be extended.

[0008] In another embodiment, the present invention discloses systems and methods for reducing the occurrence of splash back that may occur when a fluid contacts a urinal. For example, an anti-splash guard may comprise a fibrous material configured to reduce splash back and may be configured for attachment to a back surface of a urinal.

Problems solved by technology

Conventional deodorant urinal screens, which typically contain a deodorant block, fail to reliably prevent splashing of waste fluid, such as urine, from the interior region of urinals.

This often results in splash back of the waste fluid outwardly from interior region of the urinal.

This generally causes exterior regions of the urinal to become wet with waste fluid.

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