Metering device

Abstract

The invention relates to a metering device (10) for dispensing a flowable material (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d), comprising at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), the interior of each of which forms a cavity for receiving the flowable material (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d), wherein each of the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) has a first open end (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) and an dispensing opening (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) opposite this open end in an axial direction, wherein the metering device (10) further comprises: at least two pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) for axial insertion into each of the first open end (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) of a cylindrical body (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) such that the flowable material (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) is displaced by the at least two pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) and forced out of the at least two dispensing openings (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d), characterized in thatthat the metering device (10) has at least one first connecting element (15a, 15b, 15c), wherein the at least one first connecting element (15a, 15b, 15c) connects the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) at a distance from each other such that the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) are movable relative to each other.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a dosing device for dispensing a flowable material.

[0002] Such a material can, for example, have a sticky consistency, i.e. stick automatically to a surface.

[0003] It is known to apply flowable materials, such as gels, to the inside of a toilet bowl using dosing devices in order to clean or disinfect the toilet.

[0004] EP 2 361 850 B1 describes a dosing device for dispensing a flowable material onto the inside of a toilet bowl. For this purpose, a piston is inserted into a cylindrical body. Upon insertion, the piston displaces a flowable material contained in the cylindrical body, causing it to be dispensed through a dispensing opening.

[0005] The disadvantage of this device is that it is only suitable for dispensing a single flowable material.

[0006] EP 19 216 092 discloses a dosing device with two cylindrical bodies. These offer the advantage of being suitable for dispensing two different materials.

[0007] Both devices known from the prior art have the disadvantage that the application of the gel to the curved side of a toilet bowl is difficult because the distal end of the dosing device (i.e. the end where the dispensing openings are located) is in a plane.

[0008] WO 2013 / 056874 A1 describes a cartridge for a dispensing medium, comprising two cylindrical bodies arranged parallel to each other, forming a cavity for receiving a flowable material. At their distal end, the cylindrical bodies have an open end for dispensing the material.

[0009] A similar cartridge for at least two flowable components is known from EP 2 730 341 A1.

[0010] The object of the invention is to provide a dosing device for dispensing a flowable material which enables improved application to the inside of a toilet bowl.

[0011] The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1.

[0012] The dosing device according to the invention has at least two cylindrical bodies, each of which forms a hollow space for receiving the flowable material. This flowable material can be, for example, a gel in the colloquial sense or another flowable material with high or low viscosity. It is essential that the flowable material is designed in such a way that it does not automatically exit the dosing device and, furthermore, has a sticky consistency so that it adheres automatically to the inside of a toilet bowl upon application. Furthermore, the material can have such a viscosity that it retains its shape after application, provided it is not deformed by external influences.

[0013] According to the invention, each cylindrical body has a first open end and, opposite this open end, a dispensing opening. The cylindrical bodies can, for example, be circularly cylindrical, but can also have other cylindrical shapes.

[0014] The dosing device further comprises two pistons for axial insertion into the respective first open ends of the first and second cylindrical bodies. The insertion occurs in such a way that the flowable material is displaced by the piston and pushed out of the dispensing opening.

[0015] According to the invention, the dosing device has at least one first connecting element by which the at least two cylindrical bodies are connected at a distance from one another in such a way that they are movable relative to one another.

[0016] This makes it possible to adapt the shape of the distal end of the dosing device to the curved interior of a toilet bowl. This ensures more precise application of the gel to the interior of the toilet bowl, as each dispensing opening can be positioned at a precisely defined distance from the toilet bowl. This cannot be guaranteed with a dosing device in which the dispensing openings run in one plane but the interior of the toilet bowl is curved. The dosing device according to the invention thus allows for improved application of a gel to the interior of the toilet bowl.

[0017] This is achieved by arranging the axial cylinder axes of the cylindrical bodies parallel to one another. This applies to a state in which the dosing device is not bent. This is therefore the resting state of the dosing device. When the dosing device is bent, the cylindrical bodies move relative to one another, so that they can be tilted relative to one another. Tilting of the cylinder axes relative to one another can occur in both possible planes. If the tilting occurs in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the dosing device, this causes the dosing device to twist or twist.

[0018] According to the invention, each of the at least two cylindrical bodies has a spacer which extends in the axial direction away from the cylindrical bodies beyond the at least two dispensing openings, so that a cavity is formed in the axial direction between the distal end of the at least one spacer at the at least two dispensing openings.

[0019] These spacers are used to place the front end of the dosing device onto the inside of a toilet bowl so that an axial distance can be maintained from the inside of the toilet bowl to the dispensing opening. The flowable material can be dispensed into the cavity created here. This ensures that no pressure is exerted on the flowable material by the dosing device when the flowable material is being applied, so that it can be dispensed in a visually appealing form. The spacers also ensure that the dosing device and in particular the dispensing openings are always positioned at a defined distance from the inside of the toilet bowl while the flowable material is being dispensed.

[0020] It is further preferred that each of the at least two cylindrical bodies has at least one radially extending projection on its inner wall at a height spaced from the first open end. This projection serves to improve the retention of the piston in the respective cylinder, in particular preventing it from falling out of the cylinder.

[0021] It is further preferred that the at least one spacer has an L-shape, wherein the at least one spacer extends radially outwards with the short end of the L from the outer surface of the cylindrical body, wherein the long end of the at least one spacer extends in the axial direction beyond the height of the dispensing opening of the cylindrical body.

[0022] It is further preferred that the at least two pistons are flexibly connected to one another by at least one second connecting element. This allows the pistons and the second connecting element to be bent together in a manner corresponding to the cylinders and the first connecting element when applying the gel to the inside of the toilet bowl.

[0023] Furthermore, it is preferred that the at least one second connecting element has at least one grip element. This can be arranged, in particular, centrally between the at least two pistons.

[0024] Furthermore, the second connecting element can have at least one opening above the at least one piston. This serves to simplify the manufacture of the second connecting element. The second connecting element is preferably made of plastic, whereby the aforementioned openings simplify the design of the tools used to manufacture this plastic part. The product can thus be manufactured more cost-effectively.

[0025] According to the invention, the dosing device comprises at least four cylindrical bodies and at least four pistons. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it comprises at least three connecting elements, each arranged between two adjacent cylinders. This makes it possible to separately dispense four flowable materials, which may, for example, also be different materials.

[0026] The first connecting element is flexibly arranged between the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body. The second connecting element is flexibly arranged between the second and third cylindrical bodies, while the third connecting element is flexibly arranged between the third and fourth cylindrical bodies.

[0027] Furthermore, it is preferred that the at least four cylindrical bodies and the at least four pistons are arranged in a row on a straight line. However, other geometric configurations are also possible. Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to figures.

[0028] They show: Figure 1 - 6 different views of an embodiment of the dosing device according to the invention.

[0029] Figure 1shows a side view of an embodiment of the dosing device 10 according to the invention. This serves to dispense a flowable material 12a - 12d, which is accommodated in four cylindrical bodies 14a - 14d. Each of the cylindrical bodies 14a - 14d has a first open end 16a - 16d and, axially opposite thereto, a dispensing opening 18a - 18d (see also Figure 2 , 5 and 6 ).

[0030] The dosing device 10 further comprises four pistons 20a-20d for axial insertion into the first open end 16a-16d of a cylindrical body 14a-14d. This occurs in such a way that the flowable material 12a-12d is displaced by the four pistons 20a-20d and pressed out of the dispensing openings 18a-18d.

[0031] The pistons are connected via the connecting element 21 (see Figure 5) are flexibly connected to each other. This also has two gripping elements 22, 23, by which it can be gripped by a user when applying the gel.

[0032] The axial axes of the cylindrical bodies 14a - 14d are designated Z1 - Z4. These run in the rest state, i.e. in a non-bent state of the dosing device (e.g. according to Figure 1 ) parallel to each other. When the gel is applied by the dosing device according to the invention to the inside of a toilet bowl, the dosing device is bent in such a way that the axes Z1 - Z4 are no longer parallel to each other. Figure 1The toilet bowl would be on the right side and have a concave shape. This means that when the dosing device 10 is placed on the inside of the toilet bowl, the spacers 19a, 19b of the outer cylindrical bodies 14a and 14d first make contact with the toilet bowl. The dosing device 10 then bends in such a way that the two inner cylindrical bodies 14b and 14c are pushed forward towards the toilet bowl, while the outer cylindrical bodies 14a, 14d are held back. This is preferably made possible by elastic properties of the connecting elements 15a - 15c. It is thus possible for the distal end of each cylindrical body 14a - 14d to come into contact with the inside of the toilet bowl, even if it has a curved shape. When the gel is applied, the axes Z1 - Z4 on the left side of the Figure 1converge and on the right side of the Figure 1 diverge.

[0033] It is preferred that the dosing device 10 returns to its original state (namely the rest state according to Figure 1 ), but with the four pistons 20a, 20d fully inserted into the cylindrical bodies 14a - 14d.

Claims

1. Metering device (10) for dispensing a flowable material (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d), comprising at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), the interior of which each forms a cavity for receiving the flowable material (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d), wherein each of the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) has a first open end (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) and a dispensing opening (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) opposite the same in the axial direction, wherein the metering device (10) further comprises: at least two pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) for axial insertion into the first open end (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) of a cylindrical body (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), respectively, such that the flowable material (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) is displaced by the at least two pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) and is expelled from the at least two dispensing openings (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d), wherein the metering device (10) comprises at least one first connecting element (15a, 15b, 15c), wherein the at least one first connecting element (15a, 15b, 15c) connects the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) spaced from each other, such that the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) are movable with respect to each other, wherein the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) comprise axial cylinder axes (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) and wherein the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) are arranged substantially in parallel to each other with respect to their axial cylinder axes (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4), wherein the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) are tiltable with respect to their axial cylinder axes (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) from the substantially parallel arrangement relative to each other, characterized in that each of the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) further comprises: at least one spacer (19a, 19b) extending axially away from the two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) beyond the at least two dispensing openings (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) so that a cavity is formed in the axial direction between the distal end of the at least one spacer (19a, 19b) and the at least two dispensing openings (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d), wherein the metering device (10) comprises at least four cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) and at least four pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) and wherein the metering device (10) comprises at least three connecting elements (15a, 15b, 15c), wherein the first connecting element (15a) is flexibly arranged between the first cylindrical body (14a) and the second cylindrical body (14b), wherein the second connecting element (15b) is flexibly arranged between the second cylindrical body (14b) and the third cylindrical body (14c), and third connecting element (15c) is flexibly arranged between the third cylindrical body (14c) and the fourth cylindrical body (14d), wherein the at least four cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) and the at least four pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) are arranged in a row on a straight line, so that when setting the metering device (10) on the inner side of a toilet bowl with a concave shape, the spacers (19a, 19b) of the outer cylindrical bodies (14a, 14d) are first to make contact with the toilet bowl, whereafter a bending of the metering device (10) occurs such that the two inner cylindrical bodies (14b, 14c) are pushed forward towards the toilet bowl, while the outer cylindrical bodies (14a, 14d) are held back, wherein this is possible due to elastic properties of the connecting elements (15a, 15c) located between the cylindrical bodies, so that the distal end of each cylindrical bodies (14a to 14d) comes into contact with the inner surface of the toilet bowl even if the same has a bent shape.

2. Metering device (10) according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least two cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) has at least one radially extending protrusion on its inner wall on a level spaced from the first open end (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d).

3. Metering device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spacer (19a, 19b) has an L-shape, wherein the short end of at the least one spacer (19a, 19b) extends radially outward from the outer shell surface of the cylindrical body (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) and wherein the long end of the at least one spacer (19a, 19b) extends axially beyond the height of the dispensing opening (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) of the cylindrical body (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d).

4. Metering device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the at least two pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) further comprise: a second connecting element (21), wherein the at least two pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) are flexibly connected to each other by the at least one second connecting element (21).

5. Metering device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the at least one second connecting element (21) comprises at least one grip element (22, 23), wherein the grip element (22, 23) is arranged in particular centrally between the at least two pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d).

6. Metering device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the at least one second connecting element (21) comprises at least one opening (O1, O2, O3, O4) above the at least one piston (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d).

7. Metering device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the at least four cylindrical bodies (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) and the at least four pistons (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) are arranged in a row on a straight line.

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