URINAL SCREEN

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to urinal screens. In particular, this invention relates to an improved structure for such a urinal screen.

Screens are often provided in urinals to reduce or prevent unwanted splashing, which can result in fluid exiting from the urinal and ending up on a floor under and around the urinal, or even on the user of the urinal. A typical urinal screen includes a top portion having one or more anti-splash features, such as meshes, protrusions, fibers, and the like, that allow fluids to pass therethrough, but many fail to significantly reduce or prevent undesirable splashing. It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved structure for such a urinal screen that provides improved anti-splash features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved structure for a urinal screen. In one embodiment, a urinal screen includes a body having an upwardly facing surface and a downwardly facing surface, and a plurality of splash deflection fingers extending outwardly from the upwardly facing surface. Each splash deflection finger has one of a curved, bent, and contoured shape.

Various aspects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a urinal screen in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the urinal screen illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the urinal screen illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the urinal screen illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the urinal screen illustrated FIGS. 1 through 4.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the urinal screen illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, a urinal screen in accordance with this invention is illustrated at 10. The illustrated urinal screen 10 is molded from a single piece of a flexible elastomeric material, although such is not required. Materials that may be used to form the urinal screen 10 include, but are not limited to, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Resin.

The illustrated urinal screen 10 includes a body 12 that is generally planar in shape and includes an outer perimeter portion 14 having a plurality of cross bar portions 16 extending thereacross and defining large, elongated openings 17 therebetween. In the illustrated embodiment, ten of such cross bar portions 16 extend linearly between opposed portions of the outer perimeter portion 14 of the body 12. However, a greater or lesser number of such cross bar portions 16 may be provided as desired. It will be understood that the number of the cross bar portions 16 may be determined by the size of the body 12.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper surface of each of the cross bar portions 16 of the body 12 has at least one elongated splash deflector bar 18 formed thereon, as best shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. However, the splash deflector bars 18 may be provided on less than all (including none) of the cross bar portions 16 of the body 12. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the illustrated splash deflector bars 18 is generally semi-circular in cross-sectional shape. However, some or all of the splash deflector bars 18 may be formed having other cross-sectional shapes.

The upper surface of each of the cross bar portions 16 of the body 12 further includes a plurality of splash deflection fingers 20. The illustrated splash deflection fingers 20 are provided in cooperating groups that extend linearly along portions of the cross bar portions 16 and the outer perimeter portion 14 of the body 12. As best shown in FIG. 2, the splash deflection fingers 20 provided on one of the cross bar portions 16 are staggered or otherwise offset from the splash deflection fingers 20 provided on an adjacent one of the cross bar portions 16. However, such staggered or otherwise offset orientation is not required, and the splash deflection fingers 20 may be provided any desired orientation or combination of orientations.

As best shown in FIG. 4, each of the illustrated splash deflection fingers 20 extends upwardly from the upper surface of the body 12 and has a curved, bent, or otherwise contoured shape. Thus, each of the illustrated splash deflection fingers 20 includes a lower portion 20A that extends upwardly from the upper surface of the body 12 and an upper portion 20B that extends at an angle from the lower portion 20A. However, some or all of the splash deflection fingers 20 may be formed having different shapes and sizes. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the splash deflection fingers 20 is generally cylindrical in shape, having an upper surface that is generally convexly curved and a lower surface 20C that is flat and faces generally downwardly toward the body 12. However, some or all of the splash deflection fingers 20 may be formed having other desired curved, bent, or otherwise contoured shapes including, but not limited to a circular cross-sectional shape.

As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lower surface of the body 12 has a plurality of recesses 22 provided therein. These recesses 22 are provided to increase the flexibility of the body 12, allowing the urinal screen 10 to more easily conform to the shape of the urinal (not shown) in which it is used. The number and orientation of these recesses 22 may be varied as desired. Additionally, the lower surface of the body 12 includes a plurality of standoff protrusions 24 that extend downwardly therefrom. These standoff protrusions 24 provide a space between the lower surface of the body 12 and the upper surface of the urinal in which it is used, thereby creating a space through which urine may flow freely into a drain portion of the urinal.

The material used to form the body 12 may also be formed from, or otherwise include, one or more biodegradable materials to decrease the amount of time needed for the urinal screen 10 to break down in a landfill after use. Also, an enzyme additive may be provided in, or coated on, the material used to form the body 12 to mitigate or prevent the attraction of flies and other insects to the urinal screen 10 during use. For example, such an enzyme additive may breakdown proteins in the urinal screen 10, which will help prevent attracting unwanted insects, such as small black flies, to the urinal.

The material used to form the body 12 may also be impregnated with a scented oil or similar substance that is designed to slowly release a pleasant scent over a period of time (such as, for example, 30 days). For example, the body 12 may be impregnated with a custom blended sent that would be more masculine, i.e., more appealing to males, than is currently available in the market. Also, custom scents may be used as a means of generating advertising or other types of revenue from a customer. Such custom scents may include the launch of a new line of cologne, body spray, or other sense that a customer may wish to have blended into the material used to form the body 12.

Advantageously, the urinal screen 10 has improved splash deflection features relative to known urinal screens. Typical, known urinal screens include straight, upwardly extending deflectors. In contrast, the urinal screen 10 includes the plurality of splash deflection fingers 20 having a curved, bent, or otherwise contoured shape. The splash deflection fingers 20 extend outwardly from the cross bar portions 16 and are staggered or otherwise offset, such as by distance equal to the width of one splash deflection finger 20, from the splash deflection fingers 20 provided on an adjacent one of the cross bar portions 16. The combined shape and positioning of the splash deflection fingers 20 reduce the upward skip-off, or ricochet from the urinal surface, of urine that passes through the elongated openings 17.

The downwardly facing flat lower surface 20C of each splash deflection finger 20 also reduces or prevents upward skip-off, or ricochet from the urinal surface, of urine that passes through the elongated openings 17.

Additionally, the generally semi-circular cross-sectional shape of the elongated splash deflector bars 18 act to further deflect the spray of urine and reduce or prevent upward skip-off, or ricochet from the urinal surface, of urine that passes through the elongated openings 17.

The generally convexly curved upwardly facing surfaces of the splash deflection fingers 20 helps disperse the pressurized flow of urine as the urine flow contacts the raised splash deflection fingers 20 and continues downwardly through the elongated openings 17 to the underside of the urinal screen 10.

The recesses 22 provided in the lower surface of the body 12 additionally allow the body 12 to flex or bend and therefore conform to the shape of the urinal in which the urinal screen 10 is being used, regardless of the style or model of the urinal.

The combination of the splash deflection fingers 20 having a curved, bent, or otherwise contoured shape and the large, elongated openings 17 further act to reduce the disadvantageous formation of urine foam created in many known urinal screens that fail to allow urine to pass through to the urinal drain quickly enough.

The principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.