Spraying device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a spraying device for spraying an enclosure with a liquid cleanser. The device comprises a metering system communicating with a reservoir and a spray head containing a vibrating mesh spray actuator. The metering system comprises a metering chamber, a weir member and a conduit means. The device is rotatable between a first recharging orientation and a second dispensing orientation. The conduit means comprises an element selected from a check valve and a channel. In particular, the invention relates to a spraying device which is suited for automatically cleaning a toilet bowl. The invention also relates to a cartridge configured to be received by the spraying device. Furthermore the invention relates to a method for spraying an enclosure comprising a rotatable lid with a liquid cleanser.

1 . A spraying device for spraying an enclosure with a liquid cleanser, wherein the device comprises a reservoir ( 1 ) for containing the liquid cleanser or is adapted for receiving a detachable cartridge ( 22 ) comprising a reservoir ( 1 ) for containing the liquid cleanser, 
       and wherein the device further comprises
 (a) a metering system comprising a metering chamber ( 3 ), a weir member ( 4 ), and a conduit means ( 5 ), 
 (b) a spray head ( 6 ) containing a vibrating mesh spray actuator ( 7 ), and 
 (c) an electronic control circuit ( 8 ) for controlling the spray actuator ( 7 ); 
 (d) whereby the metering chamber ( 3 ) comprises an inlet opening ( 9 ) and an outlet opening ( 10 ), and whereby the weir member ( 4 ) is located between the reservoir ( 1 ) and the metering chamber ( 3 ) and the device is rotatable between a first recharging orientation and a second dispensing orientation; 
 (e) and whereby in the recharging orientation, the metering chamber ( 3 ) is located below the reservoir ( 1 ) and is in fluid communication therewith via the inlet opening ( 9 ); 
 (f) and whereby in the dispensing orientation;
 (i) the weir member ( 4 ) extends upward from the lower wall ( 11 ) of the reservoir and the metering inlet opening ( 9 ) is located above the weir member ( 4 ), 
 (ii) the metering chamber ( 3 ) is in fluid communication with the vibrating mesh spray actuator ( 7 ) via the metering outlet opening ( 10 ) and the conduit means ( 5 ), and 
 (iii) the spray head ( 6 ) is located below the metering chamber and is adapted for spraying in downward direction: 
 
 (g) whereby the conduit means ( 5 ) comprises an element selected from a check valve ( 12 ) and a channel ( 13 ), whereby
 (i) if the element is said check valve ( 12 ), the check valve ( 12 ) is closed when the device is in the recharging position and opened when the device is in the dispensing orientation, and; 
 (ii) if the element is said channel ( 13 ), the channel communicates with the metering chamber via a channel inlet opening and communicates with the spray head ( 6 ) via a channel outlet opening and whereby, when the device is in the recharging orientation, the channel ( 13 ) extends in an upward direction from the metering chamber ( 3 ) and the spray head ( 6 ) is located above and away from the metering chamber ( 3 ). 
 
 
     
     
         2 . A spraying device according to  claim 1  wherein the conduit means ( 5 ) is channel ( 13 ). 
     
     
         3 . A spraying device according to  claim 2 , wherein the volume of the channel ( 13 ) is smaller than the volume of liquid that is dispensable by the vibrating mesh spray actuator ( 7 ) within a time that is smaller than or equal to the maximum safe dry-run time of said vibrating mesh spray actuator ( 7 ). 
     
     
         4 . A spraying device according to  claim 2 , wherein the device also comprises an air passage ( 29 ) comprising a passage inlet opening ( 30 ) and a passage outlet opening ( 31 ), whereby
 (a) the passage inlet opening ( 30 ) opens into the channel ( 13 ) close to the channel outlet opening, and   (b) whereby when the device is in the dispensing orientation the air passage ( 29 ) extends upward from the channel ( 13 ), and the passage outlet opening ( 31 ) opens into the reservoir ( 1 ) above and away from, the lowest point of the reservoir.   
     
     
         5 . A spraying device according to  claim 1  wherein the conduit means ( 5 ) is check valve ( 12 ). 
     
     
         6 . A spraying device according to  claim 4  wherein the check valve ( 5 ) is float valve. 
     
     
         7 . A spraying device according to  claim 1  further comprising a detachable cartridge ( 22 ), whereby the reservoir ( 1 ) is comprised in the cartridge ( 22 ). 
     
     
         8 . A spraying device according to  claim 1  wherein the volume of the metering chamber ( 3 ) is between 0.1 and 5 millilitre. 
     
     
         9 . A spraying device according to claim wherein the electronic control circuit ( 8 ) is equipped with a tilt sensor ( 20 ). 
     
     
         10 . A spraying device according to  claim 1  wherein the principal plane of the mesh of the vibrating mesh spray actuator ( 7 ) is at an angle of between 5 and 15 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane when the device is in the dispensing orientation. 
     
     
         11 . A spraying device for spraying an enclosure with a liquid cleanser according to  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a toilet bowl. 
     
     
         12 . A spraying device according to  claim 1  wherein the device is attachable to a rotatable surface ( 28 ). 
     
     
         13 . A cartridge ( 22 ) comprising a reservoir ( 1 ) and a cartridge outlet opening ( 23 ), whereby the cartridge is configured to be received by a spraying device according to  claim 1  whereby the spraying device is adapted for detachably receiving the cartridge and whereby the cartridge is receivable in a configuration in which the reservoir ( 1 ) communicates with the metering chamber ( 3 ) via the cartridge outlet opening ( 23 ) and the metering chamber inlet opening ( 9 ) when the spraying device is in the recharging orientation. 
     
     
         14 . A method for spraying an enclosure comprising a rotatable surface with a liquid cleanser, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a spraying device according to  claim 1 , whereby the reservoir is charged with a cleansing liquid;   (b) attaching the spraying device to a rotatable surface;   (c) adjusting the spraying device to its recharging orientation, thereby filling the metering chamber with a dose of the liquid cleanser;   (d) adjusting the spraying device to its dispensing orientation;   (e) dispensing the dose of liquid cleanser via the vibrating membrane spray actuator; and   (f) optionally repeating the steps c) to (e).   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein a dose of a liquid cleanser is sprayed to an enclosure which is a toilet bowl.