Composition, system, and method for automatic dosing of a urinal cleaner

1. A method for cleaning a urinal surface or a urinal pipe of a urinal, the method comprising:

dispensing a first dose of a cleaning composition onto the urinal surface or into the urinal pipe; and

repeating the dispensing the first dose step after a first event;

wherein the cleaning composition comprises urea hydrochloride and one or more thickeners and wherein the cleaning composition has a viscosity of 200 to 600 centipoise when the cleaning composition is at a temperature of 65° F. to 72° F.; and

wherein the first event is (1) a first time interval from one of a previous first dose dispensing steps; (2) motion detected at or near the urinal; (3) flushing of the urinal; (4) or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each first dose is around 0.25 to 10 mL and the first time interval is around 60 minutes to 24 hours.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 4% to 11% total of one or more surfactants;

wherein the cleaning composition comprises 0.2% to 2% of the urea hydrochloride,

wherein the percentages are by weight,

and wherein the dispensing the first dose step comprises spraying or streaming the first dose onto an upper portion of the urinal surface to allow the first dose to run down at least a portion of the urinal surface by gravity.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more surfactants comprise 1% to 4% cocamidopropyl betaine and 3% to 7% total of one or more ethoxylated alcohols.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the one or more thickeners comprise, xanthan gum, agar, gelatin, alginate, pectin, or synthetic polymers or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the composition comprises 0.1 to 10% urea hydrochloride, 0.1 to 1% total of the one or more thickeners, and 1 to 15% total of the one or more surfactants by weight of the composition.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising dispensing a second dose of the cleaning composition onto the urinal surface or into the pipe; and

repeating the dispensing the second dose step after a second event; and

wherein the second event is different from the first event and comprises: (1) a second time interval from one of a previous second dose dispensing steps or one of the previous first dose dispensing steps; (2) motion detected at or near the urinal; (3) flushing of the urinal, or (4) a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the second dose is around 1 to 10 mL and is larger than the first dose.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising flushing the urinal after a predetermined contact time for the cleaning composition to contact the urinal surface or the urinal pipe after at least one of the first dose dispensing steps.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the predetermined contact time is 1 to 60 minutes.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a total amount of the one or more thickeners results in the viscosity of the cleaning composition being 20 to 60 times higher than a viscosity of a composition that is the same as the cleaning composition except that the composition does not comprise the one or more thickeners.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the total amount of the one or more thickeners results in the viscosity of the cleaning composition being 30 to 50 times higher than the viscosity of the composition that is the same as the cleaning composition except that the composition does not comprise the one or more thickeners.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the total amount of the one or more thickeners results in the viscosity of the cleaning composition being 35 to 45 times higher than the viscosity of the composition that is the same as the cleaning composition except that the composition does not comprise the one or more thickeners.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the cleaning composition comprises 0.1% to 10% of the urea hydrochloride and 0.1% to 1% total of the one or more thickeners; and

wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 0.1% to 5% cocamidopropyl betaine and 1% to 10% total of one or more ethoxylated alcohols.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the cleaning composition comprises 0.2% to 2% of the urea hydrochloride and 0.2% to 0.8% total of the one or more thickeners; and

wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 1% to 4% cocamidopropyl betaine and 3% to 7% total of one or more ethoxylated alcohols.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the cleaning composition comprises 0.3% to 0.5% of the urea hydrochloride and 0.3% to 0.5% total of the one or more thickeners; and

wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 2% to 3% cocamidopropyl betaine and 4% to 6% total of one or more ethoxylated alcohols.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the cleaning composition consists essentially of the urea hydrochloride, the one or more thickeners, the cocamidopropyl betaine, the one or more ethoxylated alcohols, and water.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the one or more thickeners comprises xanthan gum.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more thickeners comprises xanthan gum.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the cleaning composition comprises 0.2% to 2% of the urea hydrochloride and 0.2% to 0.8% total of the one or more thickeners; and

wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 1% to 4% cocamidopropyl betaine and 3% to 7% total of one or more ethoxylated alcohols.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

placing an automatic dispenser near or on the urinal surface, wherein the automatic dispenser comprises:

a container for holding an initial volume of the cleaning composition;

a dispensing tube;

a valve configured to allow the first dose of the cleaning composition to flow from the container through the dispensing tube to the urinal surface or into the urinal pipe;

a first sensor configured to detect the first event and send a first signal; and

a controller configured to receive the first signal and actuate the valve in response to the first signal; and

wherein repeating the dispensing the first dose step is automatically carried out by the automatic dispenser.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the first sensor is a motion detector and the first event is the motion detected at or near the urinal.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the first sensor is a vibration detector or a sound detector and the first event is the flushing of the urinal.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the first sensor is a timer and the first event is the first time interval.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising dispensing a second dose of the cleaning composition onto the urinal surface or into the pipe; and

automatically repeating the dispensing the second dose step with the automatic dispenser after a second event; and

wherein the second event is different from the first event and comprises: (1) a second time interval from one of a previous second dose dispensing steps or one of the previous first dose dispensing steps; (2) motion detected at or near the urinal; (3) flushing of the urinal, or (4) a combination thereof;

wherein the automatic dispenser further comprises a second sensor configured to detect the second event and send a second signal; and

wherein the controller configured to receive the second signal and actuate the valve in response to the second signal.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein one of the first sensor or the second sensor is a motion detector and a corresponding one of the first event or the second event is the motion detected at or near the urinal; and

wherein the other of the first sensor or the second sensor is a vibration detector or a sound detector and a corresponding other of the first event or the second event is the flushing of the urinal.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein one of the first sensor or the second sensor is a motion detector and a corresponding one of the first event or the second event is the motion detected at or near the urinal; and

wherein the other of the first sensor or the second sensor is a timer and a corresponding other of the first event or the second event is the first time interval or the second time interval.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein one of the first sensor or the second sensor is a vibration detector or a sound detector and a corresponding one of the first event or the second event is the flushing of the urinal; and

wherein the other of the first sensor or the second sensor is a timer and a corresponding other of the first event or the second event is the first time interval or the second time interval.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the first sensor is a vibration detector or a sound detector and the first event is the flushing of the urinal.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the cleaning composition comprises 0.2% to 2% of the urea hydrochloride and 0.2% to 0.8% total of the one or more thickeners; and

wherein the cleaning composition further comprises 1% to 4% cocamidopropyl betaine and 3% to 7% total of one or more ethoxylated alcohols.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein a total amount of the one or more thickeners results in the viscosity of the cleaning composition being 20 to 60 times higher than a viscosity of a composition that is the same as the cleaning composition except that the composition does not comprise the one or more thickeners.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the viscosity of the cleaning composition 300 to 500 centipoise when the cleaning composition is at a temperature of 68° F. to 72° F.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the viscosity of the cleaning composition 350 to 450 centipoise when the cleaning composition is at a temperature of 68° F. to 72° F.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the first dose is at least around 0.25 mL and less than 10 mL; and

the second dose is around 1 mL to 10 mL and is larger than the first dose.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein a total of each of the first dose and the second dose in a day is around 1-50 mL.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein a total of each of the first dose and the second dose in a day is around 5-20 mL.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein a total of each of the first dose and the second dose in a day is around 7-13 mL.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein a distal end of the dispensing tube is disposed near an upper wall portion of the urinal surface;

wherein the dispensing the first dose step comprises spraying or streaming the first dose onto the upper wall portion of the urinal surface to allow the first dose to run down at least a first portion of the urinal surface by gravity; and

wherein the dispensing the second dose step comprises spraying or streaming the second dose onto the upper wall portion of the urinal surface to allow the second dose to run down the first portion or at least a second portion of the urinal surface by gravity.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the dispensing tube is configured to dispense the first dose and the second dose into the urinal pipe and wherein the urinal pipe comprises a drainpipe.

40. The method of claim 25 wherein the first event is not the flushing of the urinal.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the second event is not the flushing of the urinal.

42. The method of claim 25 wherein the second event is not the flushing of the urinal.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein the first event is not the flushing of the urinal.

44. The method of claim 7 wherein the first event is not the flushing of the urinal.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the second event is not the flushing of the urinal.

46. The method of claim 1 wherein the urinal is a waterless urinal.

47. The method of claim 25 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically flush the urinal after period of contact time following the first dose or the second dose being dispensed.