Urinal Mat

Abstract

A urinal mat (10) comprises a mat of material (12), a block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant material, a housing or cover having an upper portion (52) surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surface extending below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more openings therein, wherein the housing or cover (52) comprises a continuously curved surface. The urinal mat may be generally octagonal in shape. The urinal mat may have a plurality of octagonal openings (38) and a plurality of rectangular or diamond-shaped openings (40) and a plurality of upstanding fingers (42).

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A urinal mat comprising a mat of material, a block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant material, a housing or cover having an upper portion surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surface extending below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more openings therein, wherein the housing or cover comprises a continuously curved surface. 
     
     
         2 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the housing or cover comprises a partly spherical or a generally hemispherical surface extending above the mat. 
     
     
         3 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mat of material comprises a mat of plastic material. 
     
     
         4 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of openings formed in the mat. 
     
     
         5 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the plurality of openings comprises a plurality of octagonal openings. 
     
     
         6 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the plurality of openings comprises a plurality of octagonal openings and a plurality of rectangular or diamond shape openings, the plurality of rectangular or diamond shape openings being located between the octagonal openings. 
     
     
         7 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the urinal mat has a plurality of projections or fingers extending upwards from an upper surface of the urinal mat. 
     
     
         8 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the housing or cover has a closed upper surface, or the housing or cover has a water impermeable upper surface and the housing or cover is arranged such that water can only access the block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant through the openings in the lower surface of the mat. 
     
     
         9 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the urinal mat includes an upper mat surface extending over the upper surface of the housing or cover, the upper mat surface including a plurality of octagonal openings. 
     
     
         10 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the urinal mat includes an upper mat surface extending over the upper surface of the housing or cover, the upper mat surface including a plurality of octagonal openings and a plurality of rectangular or diamond shape openings. 
     
     
         11 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the upper mat surface includes a plurality of fingers or protuberances extending upwardly. 
     
     
         12 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the urinal mat comprises a mat having a domed central region, the housing being received within the domed central region, the domed central region including a plurality of octagonal openings, a plurality of rectangular or diamond shape openings and a plurality of fingers or projections. 
     
     
         13 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein material of the upper surface of the urinal mat that defines the plurality of openings in the urinal mat comprises a curved surface extending from one opening to an adjacent opening. 
     
     
         14 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the curved surface is convex when viewed from above. 
     
     
         15 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the mat comprises a web of material that forms the mat, with the web of material also defining openings in the mat, the material of the web that extends from one opening to an adjacent opening being curved in a direction from one opening to an adjacent opening such that it is convex when viewed from above. 
     
     
         16 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant is located within a block housing, the block housing comprising a lower part and an upper part comprising a continuously curved wall that defines a closed upper surface the upper part and the lower part of the housing being adapted to be joined together to form the block housing, the block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant being located in the upper part of the block housing and the upper part and the lower part of the block housing subsequently joined together to thereby retain the block containing bacterial material within the housing. 
     
     
         17 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mat of plastics material is formed with an opening therein or a recess that is of complementary size to a periphery of the lower part of the housing, the lower part of the housing being fitted into that opening or recess and thereby connected to or joined to the mat of plastics material. 
     
     
         18 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mat of material is formed with a domed central region, the domed central region receiving the housing, the domed central region having a lower periphery that enables the housing to be attached thereto or connected thereto to thereby connect the housing to the mat. 
     
     
         19 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the block comprises bacterial material, enzymes and a surfactant. 
     
     
         20 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the urinal mat includes upwardly extending fingers or projections that are between 3 mm and 10 mm long. 
     
     
         21 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the lower surface extending below the block of bacterial material and/or a lower surface of the mat is provided with feet or legs to space the lower surface from a floor or wall of the urinal. 
     
     
         22 . A urinal mat comprising a mat of material, a block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant material, a housing or cover having an upper portion surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surface extending below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more openings therein, the mat having a generally octagonal shape. 
     
     
         23 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the housing or cover comprises a partly spherical or a generally hemispherical surface extending above the mat. 
     
     
         24 . A urinal mat comprising a mat of material, a block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant material, a housing or cover having an upper portion surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surface extending below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more openings therein, wherein an upper surface of the mat has essentially no flat surfaces. 
     
     
         25 . A urinal mat comprising a mat of material, a block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant material, a housing or cover having an upper portion surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surface extending below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more openings therein, wherein the mat includes a plurality of openings therein and the material of the upper surface of the urinal mat that defines the plurality of openings in the urinal mat comprises a curved surface extending from one opening to an adjacent opening. 
     
     
         26 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the curved surface is convex when viewed from above. 
     
     
         27 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the mat is formed from a web of material, with the web of material also defining the openings in the mat, wherein material of the web that extends from one opening to an adjacent opening is curved in a direction from one opening to an adjacent opening such that it is convex when viewed from above. 
     
     
         28 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the mat is formed from a web of material, with the web of material also defining the openings in the mat, wherein material of the web that extends from one opening to an adjacent opening is curved in a direction from one opening to an adjacent opening such that it is convex when viewed from above. 
     
     
         29 . A urinal mat as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the urinal mat is devoid of any upstanding projections extending from an upper surface of the urinal mat. 
     
     
         30 . A urinal mat comprising a mat of material, a block containing bacterial material, enzymes or disinfectant material, a housing or cover having an upper portion surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surface extending below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more openings therein, the mat having a plurality of openings extending therethrough, the material of the mat that extends from one opening to an adjacent opening having a curved upper surface.