TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for deodorizing floor waste drains and, in particular, to a floor waste drain deodorizer and sanitizer apparatus for use in bathrooms and toilet areas.

Although the background, objects and preferred embodiments of the invention will be hereinafter described with reference to a floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus for use in bathrooms and toilet areas, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but has wider application. For example, the apparatus may also be used for sanitizing purposes, and may find application in industrial liquid waste drains.

It is to be understood that the terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. For instance, the terms "comprising" or "comprises" are to be understood as meaning "including", unless otherwise stated. Also, the term "drain" is to be understood as including any conduit or liquid flow passageway, whether or not it is "drain-like", within which the deodorizer apparatus may be located.

BACKGROUND ART

Bathrooms and toilet areas are commonly beset with unwanted or unpleasant odours. Although there have been many products and systems to rid such odours from the vicinity of a toilet, these ignore an additional source of odours emanating from the waste drain of the floor in bathrooms and toilet areas. The floor drains of shower-baths can collect, over time, a large assortment of foul smelling waste from the act of showering and mould. Odours from the floor waste drain in shower-baths can originate, not only from the floor grille of the drain, but from far below the grille, such as where the sub-floor drain pipe may allow water to be pooled or where there is damage to the pipe allowing microbes and other odour forming material to be present in the pipe. These odours may be difficult to remove or conceal, and the cause of the odours may be unsanitary and cause illness to the users of the bathrooms and toilet areas.

It has been found by the present inventor that these problems can be addressed by providing a floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus that can be located immediately below the floor grille of a waste drain so that a deodorizing preparation of the apparatus can at least conceal unwanted or unpleasant odours, both from the floor waste drain and from the vicinity of a toilet or elsewhere in the affected area.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the disadvantages and problems of the aforementioned prior art, or at least provide a useful alternative.

It has been found by the present inventor that these and other objects of the invention may be achieved in general by providing a floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus for use with a floor grille of a waste drain, comprising: (a) a container having a perforated base and a sidewall portion extending upwardly from the base to define an open top,

(b) engagement means formed in the sidewall portion for releasably engaging the underside of the floor grille so as to allow, in use, the container to hang from the grille and be surrounded by the drain adjacent the grille, and (c) a deodorizing preparation located within the container for concealing odours.

Preferably, the deodorizing preparation comprises an air freshening or scented substance in the form of a tablet, and is supported upon the perforated base. It is preferred that the deodorizing preparation also includes a sanitizing substance, and the sanitizing substance can be carried by water through the waste drain to sanitize the cause of the odours therein.

In a preferred form, the engagement means comprise first and second holes which are adapted to respectively engage first and second projections formed on the grille.

It is further preferred that the sidewall portion comprises a cylindrical wall, and the perforated base is circular in shape.

In this form, the cylindrical wall and the circular base may be releasably connected by a plurality of tongues formed on the wall respectively engaging a plurality of grooves formed through the base.

Prior to use, the cylindrical wall is preferably formed from a flexible sheet having a plurality of male engaging means at a first end thereof and a plurality of female engaging means at an opposed second end thereof, the first and second ends being engaged together to form a wall which is cylindrical in shape.

The cylindrical wall preferably includes perforations formed at a lower end thereof adjacent the perforated base.

Preferably, the perforated base has a central hole surrounded by a first inner set of annularly arranged trapezoid shaped holes and then by a second outer set of annularly arranged trapezoid shaped holes.

It is preferred that the container is made of transparent plastic.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a floor grille assembly for use with a waste drain, comprising the aforementioned apparatus and a floor grille. Preferably, the floor grille includes first and second projections adapted to respectively engage first and second holes formed through the sidewall portion, each projection comprising a locking lug of a rotating lock and release arrangement for releasably engaging the floor grille to a floor collar of the waste drain.

There has been thus outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and put into practical effect, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which the disclosure is based, may be readily utilized as the basis for designing other apparatus, assemblies and processes for carrying out the objects of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the broad outline of the invention described above be regarded as including such equivalent constructions in so far as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for forming a sidewall portion of a container of a floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of a perforated base that can be connected to a sidewall portion formed from the blank of Figure 1, so as to form a container of a floor waste drain apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a sidewall portion formed from the blank of Figure 1 being brought towards the perforated base of Figure 2 for releasable connection to form a container of a floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a container formed after the bringing together of the sidewall portion and perforated base shown in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a photograph of a floor grille assembly formed by assembling together the container of Figure 4, a deodorizing tablet, and a floor grille of a waste drain, being brought towards a floor collar of a waste drain at the beginning of an installation process in a bathroom,

Figure 6 is a photograph of the assembly of Figure 5 at a later stage of the installation ^' process, when it is partly located within a waste drain, and

Figure 7 is a photograph of the assembly of Figures 5 and 6 after the installation process, when it is fully located within the waste drain.

MODES FORCARRYING OUTTHE INVENTION

With reference now to the above summarized drawings of Figures 1 to 7, a floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will now be described.

The floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus 10 is used with a floor grille 12 of a waste drain. The apparatus is composed of a plastic container 14 having a circular perforated base 16 and a cylindrical sidewall 18 extending upwardly from the base to define an open top 20. There are engagement means formed in the sidewall 18 for releasably engaging the underside of the floor grille 12 so as to allow, in use, the container 14 to hang from the grille and be surrounded by the drain adjacent the grille. A deodorizing preparation 22 is located within the container 14 for concealing odours.

In this embodiment, the deodorizing preparation is an air freshening or scented substance in the form of a tablet 22, and is supported upon the perforated base 16. The deodorizing tablet 22 also includes a water soluble or water dispersible sanitizing substance, so that the sanitizing substance can be carried by water through the waste drain to sanitize the cause of the odours therein

Specifically, the engagement means comprise first and second holes 24, 26 formed in the sidewall 18 of the container 14 which are adapted to respectively engage first and second projections 28, 30 formed on the grille 12, each projection being in the form of a locking lug of a rotating lock and release arrangement for releasably engaging the floor grille to a floor collar of the waste drain..

The container 14 is formed when the cylindrical sidewall 18 and the circular base 16 are releasably connected by a plurality of tongues 32 formed on the sidewall respectively engaging a plurality of grooves 34 formed through the base.

The cylindrical sidewall 18 is formed prior to use from a flexible sheet (see Figure 1) having a plurality of hook-like projections 36 at a first end thereof and a plurality of slots 38 at an opposed second end thereof. The first and second ends are connected together by interengagement of the projections 36 and the slots 38 to form the cylindrical sidewall 18.

The cylindrical sidewall 18 includes two rows of trapezoid shaped holes 40, 42 formed at a lower end thereof adjacent the perforated base 16 to allow air and water flow therethrough. The perforated base 16 has a central hole 44 surrounded by a first inner set of annularly arranged trapezoid shaped holes 46 and then by a second outer set of annularly arranged trapezoid shaped holes 48 to also allow air and water flow therethrough.

A floor grille assembly 50 (as shown in Figure 5) is formed by assembling together the container 14 of Figure 4, the deodorizing tablet 22, and the floor grille 12, and its installation in a floor collar 52 of a waste drain in a bathroom is shown in Figures 6 and 7.

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that the floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus and the floor grille assembly may be made of many suitable materials. For example, the container and grille may both be made of a different plastic material, or the grille may be metallic and the container may be plastic.

It will be readily apparent from the above that there are various advantages of the present invention.

One advantage is that, by locating the floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus immediately below the floor grille of a waste drain, the deodorizing preparation of the apparatus can conceal unwanted or unpleasant odours, both from the floor waste drain and from the vicinity of a toilet or elsewhere in the affected area.

Another advantage is that by adding a sanitizing substance to the deodorizing preparation used in the apparatus, microbes and other unsanitary material present in the sub-floor drain pipe that may cause illness to the users of the bathrooms and toilet areas may be destroyed.

Still further advantages of the present invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It will also be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in details of design and construction of the embodiments of the floor waste drain deodorizer apparatus, and in the steps of using the apparatus described above, without departing from the scope or ambit of the present invention.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates before the filing date of this patent application.