Urinal Screen and Deodorant Cake Holder

The invention concerns a urinal screen with a figure-eight, deodorant cake holder which snap-fits onto the screen. Public urinals, owing to their frequent use tend to give off offensive odors and as a matter of convenience are commonly used as litter receptacles. Urinal screens are generally provided to prevent clogging of the drain by litter thrown into the urinal. To combat the offensive odors, deodorant cakes or blocks are placed in urinals which react with urine to release a masking aroma. If merely dropped into a urinal, the deodorant cake, due to its position, may not be contacted by urine and the masking aroma will not be released. Thus, the purpose of the cake is easily defeated. Similarly, flushing the urinal may dislocate a specifically placed deodorant cake.

The invention entails a urinal screen and a detachable deodorant cake holder. The urinal screen is tri-cornered to fit snugly into the typical urinal, its purpose being to prevent litter from clogging the urinal drain. The screen has a integral figure-eight shaped base portion with an angled securing lip along the base portion perimeter. A figure-eight constructed retaining box has an engaging lip with a complementary angle which engages the securing lip of the screen. With the retaining box attached to the screen, two deodorant cakes are secured within two appropriately dimensioned circular chambers of the figure-eight retaining box over the center of the urinal. To replace deodorant cakes, the narrow portion of the figure-eight retainer box is squeezed by the installer such that the engaging lip is freed from the securing lip and the retainer box detached from the screen. New cakes are placed on the screen base portion and the retainer box is then snapped into place.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to:

(a) provide a two deodorant-cake holder for longer effective odor masking;

(b) realize a deodorant cake holder which secures the cakes to the urinal screen;

(c) yields a screen which aligns supported deodorant cakes in the urinal center;

(d) furnish a deodorant cake holder from a minimum of material; and

(e) produce an easily manipulated deodorant cake holder which is snap-fitted to secure the cakes in position.

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the urinal screen.

FIG. 2 depicts the figure-eight shaped retainer box in plane view.

FIG. 3 portrays in expanded cross-section the retainer box as attached to the screen.

FIG. 1 shows a urinal screen at 10, according to the present invention, defined by an outer edge 12. The tri-corner shape of the screen 10 insures that the screen 10 fits snugly into the typical urinal in a stationary position. As viewed in FIG. 1, a base portion 14 covers the center and the lower corner of the screen 10, substantially in a figure-eight configuration. The base portion 14, according to the preferred embodiment, is an integral portion of the screen 10 and is connected directly to the outer edge 12 at the lower corner. A set of attaching spokes 16 generate in a radial pattern from the center of the screen 10 to the outer edge 12 except at the lower corner, for additional structural integrity between the base portion 14 and the outer edge 12. To insure proper alignment between the attaching spokes 16, a plurality of spacing members 18 are provided which connect the attaching spokes 16 and parallel the outer edge 12. The base portion 14 comprises two radial grids 20, one of which is positioned in the center of the urinal screen 10 and the other in the lower corner of the screen 10. Circular members 22 are connected to each radial grid 20 for structural support. The attaching spokes 16 and the radial grids 20 are arranged such that they do not inhibit the flow of fluids through the screen 10. The attaching spokes 16 with the spacing members 18 prevent litter from reaching a urinal drain while the radial grids 20 and circular members 22 directly support any deodorant cakes placed thereon. An angled securing lip 24 is attached to the perimeter of the base portion 14 thus having a figure-eight configuration. The function of the securing lip 24 is to secure a retainer box (not shown) to the base portion 14 and is discussed in greater detail with respect to FIG. 3, below.

FIG. 2 shows the top view of a retainer box 26 having a figure-eight shape which corresponds to that of the base portion 14. This figure-eight configuration provides two chambers 40, 42, which have diameters slightly larger than that of standard deodorant cakes. According to the present invention, the deodorant cakes are enclosed by these chambers 40, 42. As depicted, a face 28 of the retainer box 26 includes two radial grid structures 30. These grid structures 20 are opposite each other and are separated by a narrow section 32 of the retainer box 26. Concentric circular ribs 34 comprise a part of the grid structures 30 and provide support in the manner of circular members 22. An engaging lip 36 follows the contour of the retainer box 26, and as such also has a figure-eight form. The retainer box 26 is secured in position with respect to the base portion 14 by engagement of the securing lip 24 and the engaging lip 36. This aspect is more apparent when explained in congunction with FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 depicts in an expanded, cross-sectional view the relationship of the retainer box 26 with respect to the urinal screen 10, as viewed along the off-center, cut-line A of FIGS. 1 and 2. To install or replace deodorant cakes (not shown), the installer applies an inward pressure to a wall 38, compressing the retainer box 26, which allows separation of the engaging lip 36 from the securing lip 24. The retainer box 26 is removed and one or two deodorant cakes are placed on the base portion 14. The wall 38 is squeezed a second time such that the engaging lip 36 can be snap-fitted inside the securing lip 24. In this manner the deodorant cakes are enclosed and secured by the retainer box 26, one in each chamber 40, 42, upon the base portion 14. As is evident, the wall 38 tapers from the engaging lip 36 toward the face 28 of retainer box 26, at an angle of approximately 3.degree. from vertical.

The engaging lip 36 is provided with an angled edge 44 which is complementary to the angle of the securing lip 24. The preferred embodiment of the invention entails a securing lip 24 at an angle of 60.degree. from the base portion 14, but with a corresponding modification of the engaging lip 36, the angle may range between 0.degree. and 90.degree.. The angle-relationship between the engaging lip 36 and the securing lip 24 allows easy removal of the retaining box 26, yet a means for securely attaching the retainer box 26 to the urinal screen 10 is also realized.

In accordance with the present invention, deodorant cakes are strategically located and are securely maintained in their most effective positions. The chambers 40, 42 by their size and shape minimize the movement of deodorant cakes within the retainer box 26. Similarly, the retainer box 26 movement is restricted due to its attachment via the engagement lip 36/securing lip 24 arrangement to the base portion 14. The base portion 14 does not move with respect to the urinal screen 10 because it is an integral part thereof. The tri-corners of the urinal screen 10 align and anchor the urinal screen 10 within a urinal. Thus, deodorant cakes utilized in the present invention are not inadvertently moved from their central locations.

In terms of production, it would be mechanically simpler to manufacture a rectangular retainer box, however, such a device would tend to pop out from a securing lip upon application of a small force to the long wall of the retainer box. One might suggest that this problem could be avoided if two cylinders were molded into the rectangular retainer box. However, this requires more material to manufacture the retainer box, the amount of which becomes substantial during mass-production. A figure-eight configuration avoids the "pop-out" problem and utilizes a minimum of material.

Other modifications are apparent to one skilled in the art which do not depart from the spirit of the invention. The described embodiment is, therefore, considered to be only illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims. For instance the securing lip 24 need not be attached along the exact perimeter of the base portion 14, but may be somewhat inside the perimeter. The base portion 14 may be a separate piece, not integral to the screen 10. Numerous arrangements of the attaching spokes 16 with the spacing members 18, radial grids 20 with the circular elements 22, and grid structures 30 with the circular ribs 34 are possible.