Toilet bowl cleaning device

Abstract

Toilet bowl cleaning device adapted for dispensing cleaning agent within flow of flushed water dispensed from a toilet tank to a toilet bowl for cleaning and freshening the toilet bowl, comprising a cleaning agent retaining member adapted for being retained within an annular-shaped portion of the toilet bowl at a location closely adjacent, and within the path of, an inlet portion of the toilet bowl located under an upper rim portion of the toilet bowl, the cleaning agent retaining member being adapted for being expanded and contracted, such as with a ratchet, pawl, and release mechanism, for allowing fitting of the toilet bowl cleaning device with the toilet bowl.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toilet bowl cleaning device adapted for dispensing cleaning agent within flow of flushed water dispensed from a toilet tank to a toilet bowl for cleaning and freshening the toilet bowl, comprising:
 a. a cleaning agent retaining member, having first and second ends and adapted for being retained within an annular-shaped portion of the toilet bowl at a location within the path of an inlet portion of the toilet bowl located under an upper rim portion of the toilet bowl; and   b. a ratchet and pawl mechanism adapted for releasably forming said cleaning agent retaining member into an annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member with the first end being inserted into the second end and that is of expandable and contractable length circumference via said ratchet and pawl mechanism, wherein said ratchet and pawl mechanism allows expansion of the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member for retention under the upper rim of the toilet bowl, and wherein said ratchet and pawl mechanism also allows contraction of the length of the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member.   
     
     
         2 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member defines an interior space wherein the cleaning agent is adapted for being retained within said interior space and wherein the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member has defined therein a plurality of apertures adapted for allowing water from flushing of the toilet to enter into the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member interior space to wash over the cleaning agent and also to exit the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member via another plurality of apertures corresponding to a plurality of locations adjacent and around the upper rim portion of the toilet bowl and within the path of the flow of water into the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         3 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 2 , wherein the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member is expandable in circumference length via said ratchet and pawl mechanism to a larger circumference to fit snugly within an upper area of the toilet bowl just under the toilet bowl rim. 
     
     
         4 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 3 , wherein the expansion of the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member may be reversed to a smaller circumference via said ratchet and pawl mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second ends of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member are adapted for being adjustably interconnected via said ratchet and pawl mechanism to allow for expansion of the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member. 
     
     
         6 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second ends of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member are adapted for being adjustably interconnected via said ratchet and pawl mechanism implemented between the first and second ends to allow for expansion of the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member, said ratchet and pawl mechanism further comprising a release mechanism adapted for releasing said ratchet and pawl mechanism to reverse the expansion of the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member to a smaller circumference annular member. 
     
     
         7 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member may be bent for removal from the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         8 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 3 , wherein the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member is tubular and the interior space adapted for retaining the cleaning agent is of a circular cross section. 
     
     
         9 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 8 , wherein the first end of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member is adapted for interconnection with the pawl and the second end of the cleaning agent retaining member is adapted for interconnection with the ratchet such that during use the first end is adapted for being adjustable retained relative to the second end, and where the ratchet is retained within an interior space of the pawl. 
     
     
         10 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein said cleaning agent retaining member is partially porous and thereby enables a controlled release of the cleaning agent. 
     
     
         11 . A toilet bowl cleaning device for dispensing cleaning agent within flow of flushed water dispensed from a toilet tank to a toilet bowl for cleaning and freshening the toilet bowl, comprising:
 a. a cleaning agent retaining member comprising first and second ends and adapted to be deformed into an annular shape, wherein said cleaning agent retaining member is adapted for being retained within the toilet bowl at a location within the path of an inlet portion of the toilet bowl located under an upper rim portion of the toilet bowl;   b. a cleaning agent retained within said cleaning agent retaining member; and   c. a ratchet and pawl mechanism adapted for releasably transforming said cleaning agent retaining member into an annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member with the first end being inserted into the second end during use and that is of expandable and contractable length circumference via said ratchet and pawl mechanism during use, wherein said cleaning agent retaining member is adapted for storage and shipping in a non-annular configuration, wherein said ratchet and pawl mechanism allows expansion of the length of the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member for retention under the upper rim of the toilet bowl, and wherein said ratchet and pawl mechanism also allows contraction of the length of the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member.   
     
     
         12 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 11 , wherein said cleaning agent retaining member defines an interior space wherein said cleaning agent is retained within said interior space and wherein said cleaning agent retaining member has defined therein a plurality of apertures adapted for allowing water from flushing of the toilet to enter into said cleaning agent retaining member interior space during use as an annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member having been formed into an annular configuration to wash over said cleaning agent and also to exit said cleaning agent retaining member via another plurality of apertures corresponding to a plurality of locations adjacent and around the upper rim portion of the toilet bowl and within the path of the flow of water into the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         13 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 12 , wherein said cleaning agent retaining member first and second ends are adapted to form an annular member via use of said ratchet and pawl mechanism, wherein the circumference of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member is expandable to a larger circumference via said ratchet and pawl mechanism to fit within an upper area of the toilet bowl just under the toilet bowl rim. 
     
     
         14 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 13 , wherein the expansion of the circumference of said cleaning agent retaining member in the shape of an annular member may be reversed to a smaller circumference. 
     
     
         15 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second ends of said cleaning agent retaining member are adapted for being adjustably interconnected via said ratchet and pawl mechanism implemented between the two ends to allow for expansion of the circumference of the cleaning agent retaining member. 
     
     
         16 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second ends of said cleaning agent retaining member are adapted for being adjustably interconnected via said ratchet and pawl mechanism implemented between the first and second ends to allow for expansion of the circumference of the cleaning agent retaining member, said ratchet and pawl mechanism further comprising a release mechanism adapted for releasing said ratchet and pawl mechanism to reverse the expansion of the circumference length of said cleaning agent retaining member in the shape of an annular member to a smaller circumference length. 
     
     
         17 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 11 , wherein the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member may be easily-bent for removal from the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         18 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 12 , wherein said cleaning agent retaining member is tubular and the interior space adapted for retaining said cleaning agent is of a circular cross section. 
     
     
         19 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 13  wherein the first end of the annular-shaped cleaning agent retaining member is adapted for interconnection with the pawl and the second end of the cleaning agent retaining member is adapted for interconnection with the ratchet such that during use the first end is adapted for being adjustably retained relative to the second end, and wherein the ratchet is retained within an interior space of the pawl. 
     
     
         20 . The toilet bowl cleaning device of  claim 11 , wherein said cleaning agent retaining member further comprises a partially-porous membrane and thereby enables a controlled release of said cleaning agent.