CA2097333A1 - Device for the machine washing of clothes and the method of utilizing said device - Google Patents

Abstract

The measuring and dispensing device of the reusable type for the machine washing of clothes comprises a hollow body intended to receive the amount of a liquid detergent prescribed for a wash and provided with at least one filling opening (3) and with outlets (8) for distribution in the machine, as well as means (2, 2a; 10, 10a) enabling the user to effect, once said device has been filled, an easy and controlled application of detergent to selected areas of a garment before the latter is washed in the machine, in order to effect a pretreatment of said areas before the washing cycle, the measuring and dispensing device, still containing the amount of product remaining after the pre-treatment, being introduced together with the clothes into the machine. Said pretreatment means (2, 2a; 10, 10a) form an integral part of the device.

Description

Z~ '7;~
W092/Os736I PCT/US91/08823 Device for the machine washing of clothes and the method of utilizing ~aid device The pre~en~ invention relates to a measurlng ana di~pensing devlce of the reusable type for the machine washing of clothes, and also to the method of utilizing said device.
5More particularly, the invention relates to a measuring and dispensing device, of a type which is now standard and which enables the method of machine washing of clothes deJcribed in the Applicant's Patent FR 2563250 to be carried out and is intended to be filled with at least one liquid detergent, thereupon being placed in the dsum of the machine together with the clothes and then being progres~ively emptied of its contents in the course of the washing cycle. Measuring and di~pensing devices of thi~ kind have been described, inter alia, in the Applicant~s patent application published under No. FR~ 2570720. ThLs application concern~ measuring ~nd dispensing devices each of which comprises a body, par ticularly one of mainly spherical shape, which is intend-ed to contain a detergent li~uid and which has a filling opening and is associated with an attached assembly which may form a lid, capping said opening. Said attached as-sembly and~or said body is or are provided with outlets intended to permit the progre~sive disdharge of the li-quid amongst the clothes in the course of the washing.
It is known that, in order to obtain a good degree of cleanne~s, it is often nece~sary for certain areas of clothes, for example particularly soiled areas, such as individual spots, or areas h~bitually more heavily soiled, such a8 shirt collars and cuffs, to be treated before the wash. This pretreatment generally consists of simple prewashing with 90Ap~ in particular with a ~olid soap and a brush, 80 that the user must first provide himself with ob~ects, n mely the soap and the brush, other than those needed for the machine wash.
In this respect it should be noted that measuring and diqpensing devices known hitherto and alqo the bottles containing detergent liquids intended for machine washing are unsuitable for enabling a user tO pour . :, . ~:: " . .

WO92/09~36 ~ '7~ 3;~ - 2 - PCTtUS91/08823 detergent liquid onto a particular area of d garment in a sufficiently controlled manner.
In particular, large capacity containers are dif-ficult to manipulate. It is therefore usually nece~sary S to make use of separately presented pretreatment products, and containers for such products have been developed and are available on the market: products applied by spraying are for example known. Apart from inconvenience to the user, since two different containers must be used - one for the detergent and the other for the pretreatment product-pretreatment with an additional product increases the total cost of the wash.
The present invention seeks to obviate these disadvantage~ and provides a mea~uring and dispensing -- 15-- - device incorporating pretreatment means making -it pos-sible to achieve controlled application of a detergent liquid, with which it has been filled for the purpose of the machine wa~h, to ~elected area~ of a garment for the purpose of effecting the pretreatment of these areas before the washing cycle. The u~er therefore no longer needs to provide an ob~ect or a container which would be used solely for this specific pretreatment stage. Such pretreatment ~eans may for example comprise means making it possible to pour out a controlled amount of liquid detergent onto the areas to be treated, such as spouts or nozzles, optionally with additional means enabling a u~er to treat such areaq by rubbing, such a~ irregularities formed on the measuring and dispensing device. The invention is obviously applicable to all types of measur-ing and dispen~ing devices, particularly to those of themulti-compartment type intended to contain a plurality of constituents which are not mutually compatible to a ~atisfactory extent.
The ob~ect of the pre~ent invention i9 therefore a measuring and dispensing device of the reusable type for the machine washing of clothes, which comprises a hollow body closed at one end by a base and intended to receive the amount prescribed for the washing of at least one useful product, such a~ a liquid detergent or a washing .

W092/09736 _ 3 _ PCT/US91/08823 additive, said hollow body being provided with at least one filling opening and with outlets for the distribution of said product or products, the said device being intended to be placed, with the clothes to be washed, in S the drum of the machine, where it i8 progressively emptied of its contents in the course of the washing cycle, and being characterized in that it is provided with means enabling a user to effect, once said device has been filled, an easy and controlled application of at least one product contained in it to selected areas of a garment, before the latter is washed in the machine, in order to effect a pretreatment of such areas before the washing cycle, the measuring and dispensing device, con-taining the amount of product remaining after the pre-treatment,--being introduced together with-the clothes into the machine, and in that said pretreatment means form an integral part of said device.
According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention the device is filled at the start with the entire amount of useful product, such as the liquid detergent, required for a washing cycle. A fraction of the contents of the device is applied during the pretre~tment to the selected areas of garments. The r,esidual amount of product is distributed, in the course of the wash, by the measuring and dispensing device placed in the machine together with the clothe~. It will be noted that the total amount of useful product will thus be brought into contact with the clothes, namely the amount applied to the areas of garments during the pre-treatment and the amount contained in the device anddistributed from the latter. It has surprisingly been found that the invention thus achieved even greater effectiveness in respect of stain removal because of the pretreatment, although the amount of product consumed is the same as with the prior art described at the beginning of the present description.
Another advantageous feature is that at the end of the washing cycle the entire device leave~ the machine in a completely clean state and can be reused WO92/09736 ~ 7~3; ~
4 _ PCT/US91/08823 immediately, whereas in the ca~e of known pretreatments re~idue-~ and spots of product were always left on the application means used, unless a separate pretreatment product container was u~ed, with the previously mentioned disadvantages of this known technique.
The present invention also relates to the following characteristics, considered singly or in all their technically possible combinations:
- the pretreatment means comprise means enabling a con-trclled amount of product to be poured out onto areas of ga ~ents requiring pretreatment;
- the means enabling a controlled amount of product to be poured out comprise a pouring spout or a nozzle leading to the outside of the device;
15 - - the pretreatment means comprise a pouring spout leading to the outside of the device and ending in a channel which is in communication with the interior of the device;
- the pouring spout is distant from the base of said de-vice, while the channel passes substantially radially through the wall of the body of said device;
- the pouring spout is close to the base of said device;
- the channel terminating in the pouring spout extends in the walls of an assembly attached to the body of said device, capping its filling opening, while at the oppo-site end to that where the pouring spout is located said channel leads into the interior of the device;
- the pretreatment means comprise means enabling a user to apply treatment by rubbing to the areas of the garment requiring pretreatment;
- the body of said device i8 provided with irregularities pro~ecting from the wall on which they are formed;
- said irregularities are grooves or striations and~or are small studs provided on the base of the container;
- ~urface irregularities are provided on the wall of the container in the immediate vicinity of the pouring spout or nozzle;
- the centre plane of the filling opening of the device is inclined in relation to the centre plane of its base, - . . , . - , . . .
.. ... .. . ..

~ 7~
W092/09736 _ 5 _ PCT/US91/08823 while the pouring spout or the nozzle is disposed in a zone of said device at the level of which said opening is most distant from said base;
- the body provided with gripping depre~sions;
S - the device is divided internally by walls intended to prevent accidental pouring out of a product which is not desirable for the pretreatment;
- the body of said device is divided internally by walls which in its interior delimit a plurality of compartments each intended to receive a different active product;
- the device comprises in its interior at least one meas-uring marker;
- said marker is of adjustable height in relation to the base of the device.
15 ~ The descriptions given below of variou~ embodiments~of the invention are purely illustrative and non limitative.
They must be read in con~unction with the accompanying drawings, in which: . -Figure l is a view in perspective of a measuring and dispensing device according to a first embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a view in axial section of the measuring and dispensing device shown in Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are views in perspective and in axial section of a measuring and dispensing device according to a second embodiment of the invention;
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a view in perspective and a view in axial section of a measuring and dispensing device according to a third embodiment of the invention;
Figure 7 i8 a view in section on the line VII-VII in Figure 6; .
Figure 7A is a view in axial section of another variant of the invention;
Figures 8 and 9 are respectively a view in per-spective snd a view in axial section of a two-compartment measuring and dispensing device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;
Figures lO and ll are re~pectively a view in per-spective and a view in axial ~ection of a two-compartment WO92/09~36 2-!~7~; ' 6 PCT~US91/08823 measuring and dispensing device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention;
Figures 12 and 13 are respectively a view in perspective and a view in axial section of a measuring S and dispensing device according to a sixth embodLment of the invention;
Figures 14 and 15 are respectively a view in perspective and a view in axial ~ection of a device according to a seventh embodiment of the invention;
Figures 16 and 17 are respectively a view in per-spective and a view in axial section of a measuring and dispensing device according to another embodiment of the invention;
Figures 18 and 19 are respectively a view in per-spective and a view in axial section of a measuring and dispensing device according to another embodiment of the invention;
Figures 20 and 21 are respectively a view in per-spective and a view in axial section of a measuring and dispensing device according to another embodiment of the invention;
Figures 22 and 23 are respectively a view in per-spective and a view in axial section of a measuring and dispensing device according to another embodiment of the invention;
Figures 24 and 25 are respectively a view in per-spective and a view in axial section of a mea~uring and diJpensing device according to another emkodiment of the invention;
Pigures 26 and 27 are respectively a view in perspec-tive and a view in axial ~ection of a mea~uring and dispenJing device according to yet another embodiment of the invention;
Figure 28 is an exploded view in perspective of a measuring and dispensing device according to another possible embodiment of the invention;
Figures 29 and 30 are views in section of the device in Figure 28 on the line of section indicated in these figures, in two different use positions.

, ~
. , .
.

WO92/09736 ~ ?~ Pcr/usgl/08823 Figures 1 and 2 show a measuring and dispensing device according to a first embodLment of the invention, which comprises a hollow body 1 of revolution, of mainly spherical or slightly ellipsoidal shape, closed at one S end by a base 2, which is a flat surface, and, opposite said base 2, provided with a circular opening 3 sur-rounded by a rim 3a. This opening 3 is bordered b~ an annular cylindrical support skirt 4 extending from said rim 3a towards the outside of said body 1. This support skirt 4 receives an annular collar 5 serving as a means for clipping to an attached assembly 6. In addition to this collar S, the attached assembly 6 comprises a basket 7 which forms a helical web at the level of the opening of the body 1. The cavities bounded by the branches of lS this helicaI web constitute outlets 8 through which the product filled into said body will progressively escape during the washing cycle.
The body 1 is provided with a re-entrant groove 9 arranged on its outer wall and extending over sub-stantially the entire height from its collar 4 to the ~ -base 2, said groove 9 being of slight depth and slight width. At the top, close to the opening 3, this groove 9 is associated with a pouring spout 10 which pro~ects slightly in relation to said groove 9. The opening of said 8pout 10 is in the form of a flat slit and is in co unication with the interior of the body 1 by way of a channel lOa.
In addition, the base 2 is provided on its outer face with 8mall studs 2a, which constitute irregularities intended to permit the rubbing of areas of a garment which are to be treated. The body 1 of the measuring and dispensing device has a shape perfectly suitable for gripping by the user~s hand, and for this purpose has two depressions la disposed one on each side of the pouring spout 10.
A di~penser device of this kind is used in the manner which will now be de~cribed. The user fir~t fills this device with the detergent liquid which he intends to use for the machine washing, in accordance with the dosage ., - : . : ;, , . ~

WO92/09736 ~ 7~ 3`' PCT/US91/08823 prescribed by the maker. He can then pretreat certain areas of the garment by pouring a little detergent liquid onto those areas by inclining the body 1. The detergent liquid passing through the channel lOa then passes out of the body 1 through the spout 10, which the user will direct and position so as to obtain the desired distribu-tion of the detergent liquid over the areas which are to be pretreated. When the user considers that a sufficient -amount of liquid has been poured for an area which is to be pretreated, he stops the flow of the detergent liquid b~ tilting the body in the opposite direction, and he can rub the preselected area of the garment with the aid of the outer surface of the base 2 and of the irregularities 2a formed on that surface. The user then uses the 15 ~~~ dispenser~device substantially like a brush, the mani-pulability of the device being facilitated by the depre~-sions la, which enable the device to be gripped mo6t effectively. When the pretreatment stage ha~ been com-pleted, the user places the measuring and dispensing device in the drum of the washing machine together with the clothes, the detergent liquid which remain~ in the body 1 progre~sively escaping through the outlet~ 8 in the course of the washing cycle.
As previou~ly mentioned, the total amount of washing product is the same a~ that used in a known device not provided with pretreatment means. This amount corres-ponds in fact to the fractLon used during the pretreat-ment and the amount di~penJed during the washing cycle.
ln addition, the device equipped with the means dsscribed leaves the washing machine in a clean state and can be recovered for reuse.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, it i8 seen that a measuring and dispensing device according to a variant embodiment of the invention comprises a body 11 of mainly ~pherical ~hape, which terminates at one end in a flat ~urface 12 con~tLtuting it~ base, and at it~ other end has an opening 13 capped by an attached assembly 16.
Thi~ attached assembly 16 i~ engaged by means of a collar 15 over a skirt 14 bordering the opening 13 in the ' ' - - ' .

. , , ; ~ .
- . ~
. - : , ~ . , .

W092~09736 ~f~'7~3~ ! PCT/US91/08823 body 1.
The walls of the body 11 are provided with a depres-sion 19 extending from the base 12 to the rim 13a carry-ing the skirt 14, the main wall of this depression 19 ending, in its part most distant from the base 12, sub-stantially at the level of the contour of the opening 13.
This depression 19 is intended to receive a horn-shaped channel 20 integrally moulded with the collar 15; the inside walls of this channel 20 match the shape of the walls of the body 1 at the level of said depression 19.
At its bottom end the horn-shaped channel 20 leads out, near the base 12, to the outside of the device by way of an opening 20a forming a pouring spout. At its other end said chsnnel 20 leads through an opening 2Ob to the ~-~~~interior of the measuring and dispensing device. The opening 20b is formed in the wall 15a of the collar 15, the latter being engaged over the skirt 14 by means of said wall. Thi~ horn-shaped channel 20 has in its centre plane passing through the axis of the body 11 a crescent-shaped cross section widening out from its end on the ba~e 12 towards the wall l5a and the opening 20b.
In the interior of the body 1 said wall l5a is extended by a frustoconical chimney 17 provided over its entiré periphery with outlets 18 formed in the side wal~l of the truncated cone 17. Depressions lla enable the device to be conveniently gripped on each side of ther horn-shaped channel 20.
The device in the variant 8hown in Figures 3 and 4 is used in the manner which will now be described.
In order to effect the pretreatment, after the device has been filled with detergent liquid through the opening 13 and the fru~toconical chimney 17, the user slightly tLlts the device 80 that the channel 20 and the opening 20a are in a lowered position relative to the remainder of the device. The detergent liquid then passes from the body 11 into said channel 20 by way of the opening 20b and then flows out of said channel through the spout 20a, which the user directs in order to distribute the deter-gent liquid in a controlled manner over the areas of the WO ~ ~ 7~ 3;' garment which it is considered should be pretreated.
When a quantity of detergent liquid thought to be sufficient has been deposited on one of these areas, the user tilts the measuring and dispensing device in the opposite direction and can rub the area in question with the irregular outer face of the base or flat surface 12.
Once this pretreatment of the garment has been carried out, the measuring and dispensing device i~ placed in the drum of the machine together with the clothes. In the ln course of the washing cycle the detergent liquid pro-gressively escapes from the said device through the out-lets 18 and the opening of the chimney 17. Once again, it can be seen that the device leaves the machine in a perfectly clean state and can be directly reused.
Referring now to FLgures 5 to 7, it can be~seen that a measuring and dispensing device according to another possible variant of the invention comprises a body 21 of mainly cylindrical shape, provided with a base 22 and an opening 23, said body 21 thus forming a container. In addition, substantially similarly to the variant illu-strated in Figures 1 and 2, this device comprises:
- an attached assembly 26 which comprise~ a collar 25 engaged over a support skirt 24 and bordering the opening 23 of the body 21, as well as a helical web 27;
- a pouring spout 30 which pro~ects in relation to the outer cylindrical faces of the body 21 and is in communi-cation with the interior of the device by way of a chan-nel 30a pas~ing radially through the cylindrical wall of the body 21 in a zone of said wall which is distant from the base 22 and close to the opening 23.
The cylindrical wall 25b, which fits internally into the support skirt 24, is extended inside the device by an incurved tongue Ll or deflector extending from the side of the wall lSb which is closest to the channel 30a towards the axis of the body 21 and the base 22, its end more distant from the collar 25 being situated substanti-ally at the level of said axis, at the middle of the height of the body 21 and its tangent plane being ~ub-stantially parallel to the base 22. This deflector Ll is . .
.

~ '7~

completed by a dome or shoe L2 substantially of the shape of a hollow quarter-sphere, said shoe L2 having a semi-circular contour at the level of the base 22, corre~-ponding to the semicircular inside contour of said base 22, and being disposed on the same side of the device as the tongue Ll. This shoe L2 may for example be integrally moulded on the body 21 or else be of a mater-ial enabling it to be introduced into the body in a deformable shape and to become rigid after it has been introduced into the container.
The device shown in Figures 5 and 6 is used in the manner which will now be described. It is more par-ticularly intended to receive two products useful for the wash7ng, one of them in powder form and the other in liquid form. The product in liquid form is the one of the two products which is intended-to be used during the pretreatment stage. The user then pours the powder into the interior of the body 21, the powder sliding over the face of the tongue Ll directed towards the opening 23, falling onto the base 22 and being at least partially distributed under the dome L2. Once the necessary amount of powder has been introduced into the body 21, the user fills the body Ll with detergent liquid, which falls into the body 21 without excessively mixing with the powder.
The user c~n then carry out the pretreatment of areas of the clothes, operating substantially in the same manner as with the device illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, that is to say u~ing the pouring ~pout 30 to distribute the detergent liquid over the areas of the clothes which he considers should be treated, and then optionally rubbing these areas with the aid of the base 22 of the body 21, said base being provided with irregularities. During this tilting movement the powder is retained in the body 21 by the shoe L2, and only the detergent liquid is poured out through the channel 30a and the spout 20.
When this pretreatment has been completed, the device has only to be placed inside the drum of the machine, and the useful product in powder form and the detergent liquid will escape from the said device, during the washing .

W092/09736 Z~ 733; PCT/US91/D88Z3 cycle, through the outlets 28 which between them delimit the branches of the helical web 27.
The device shown in Figure 7~ is very similar to that shown in Figures 5 to 7, and for the elements of the de~ice s~own in said Figures 5 to 7 which are found again in the variant shown in Figure 7A the same reference numerals are used again, increased by 100.
This device, which in its interior has neither a deflector nor a shoe, comprises a cylindrical body 121 and an attached assembly 126 provided with a chimney 127 h;ving outlets 128. A channel 130a ending, outside said body, in a spout 130 passes through a part of the body 1~1 distant from the base 112.
The mode of utilization of the variant illustrated in Figure 7A is very simple. During the pretreatment the user has simply to incline the body 121 in order to pour out through the spout 130 the desired amount of detergent liquid. ~t will be noted that, as shown in the drawing, the mouth of the spout 130 may be provided with means enabling the flow of detergent liquid to be controlled or slowed down. Such means may for example consi~t of a grid or sieve.
Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, it can be seen that a messuring and dispensing device according to yet another possible variant of the invention compri~e~ a main body 31 in the form of two cylinders dispo~ed slde by side along a col on wall P delimiting, inside the body 31, two compartments A and ~, of which one (A) has a slightly smaller diameter than the other (B). On this body 31, which terminates at one end in a base 32 and at its other end has two openings 33a and 33b, i~ disposed an attached assembly 36 comprising two collars 35a and 35b ~oined to form a siAgle piece 35 and respectively m~tching the edges of the body 31 which delimit the con-tour of the compartment A and the contour of the compart-ment B, said two colg the edges of b being joined at a co ~on wall in line with the wall P delimiting the two compartments A and B in the body 31. The collar 35a is associated with a chimney 37a of frustoconical shape, , W092/09736 2~ 7~3~ PCT/US91/08823 which is provided with elongated slits 38a regularly dis-tributed over its periphery and extending along generatrices of said chimney 37a. The collar 35b is in turn provided with a helical web 37b of the type already described above. In its zone at the greatest distance from the compartment A the compartment B is provided with a spout 40, the shape and arrangement of which on the walls of the body 31 are substantially the same as those of the spout 30 on the walls of the body 21 of the device shown in Figures 5 to 7.
The utilization of the device described here is sub-stantially sLmilar to that of the devices shown in Figures 1 and 2, and in Figures 5 to 7, in respect of its principle, except that the u~er first fills each of the compartments A and B separately, filIing the compartment B with the detergent liquid which is to be used for the pretreatment of clothes, while the compartment A is filled with a li~uid or powder product used for washing but not compatible with the detergent liquid with which the compartment B is filled.
The height of the wall P separating the compartment~
A and B is selected, in dependence on the dimension~ of said compartments, in such a manner that the contents of compartment A will not be poured out accidentally when the device i~ tilted to pour out the product contained in compartment B.
Referring now more psrticularly to Figures 10 and 11, it can be sQen that a measuring and di~pensing device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention is of the general type of the device provided with a horn-shsped channel shown in the previously described Figures 3 and 4, and compri~es in psrticular a body 41 associated with an attached assembly 46, in which the wall 45a of the collar 45, by which the as~embly is held on the body 41, is provided with an opening 5Oa, at the level of which a horn-shaped channel 50 has its outlet, through its other end at the level of an opening 50b formLng a pouring spout disposed towards the base 42 of the device. The wall delimiting said horn-shaped channel - ,. .. . . . . ...

WO92/09736 '~ 7~3;`! PCTtUS91/08823 50 on the inside is the wall of the body 51.
The de~ice of this new variant differs from the device shown in Figures 3 and 4 in that it has a secondary com-partment C intended to receive, for ex`ample, a bleach in liquid or powder form, this secondary compartment C being delimited on the one hand by the outer face of the wall bounding the inside of the body 41, and on the other hand by an incurved wall which extends from the base 42 sub-stantially to the plane of the opening of the body 41.
The wall delimiting the chamber C di~erges from the outer wall of the body 41 at the base 42 and as far as the plane of its opening. This chamber C is also provided at its opening contour with a ~rid D the me~h of which delimits outlets intended to permit both the filling of this chamber C ~before the wash and the progressivë
ev~cuation of the product contained in it in the course of the washing cycle.
The utilization of a device of this kind i8 sub-s.antially similar to that of the device shown in Figures 3 and 4, the only difference, where the user is con-cerned, consi~ting of the initial filling of each of the two compartments of the device with suitable products which cannot be previously mixed, the body 41 receiving in its interior mainly the detergent liquid intended to be used for the pretreatment phase.
Figures 12 and 13 show a mea~uring and dispensing device according to a ~ixth embodiment of the invention.
This device comprises e~Jentially a body~51 forming, in con~unction with a base 52, a container intended to receive a detergent liquid utilizable both for the pre-tre~tment phase and for the washing cycle. The body 51 of this container has a mainly spherical, slightly oblong shape. Its opening 53 at the opposite end to its base 52 i8 disposed in a plane slightly inclined relative to the plane of said base 52. As previously, this opening 53 is bordered by a skirt 54 intended to cooperate with a com-plementary wall 55b provided on the collar 55 of a lid 57 associated with said container for the purpose of holding said lid on said opening 53. The lid 57 compris~s, : : . .. . .

~ 37;~3;'~

additionally to the collar 55, a base which, for example for aesthetic reasons, may have a slightly irregular shape but which extends along the inclined plane of the opening 53 of the body 51, this lid base being provided - 5 with outlets 58 distributed over its entire surface, as well as over the wall 55b of the collar 55, intended to cooperate with the skirt 54. In its zone of maximum height the body 51 is provided with striations or grooves 52b extending on the periphery of said body 51 substan-tially to the base 52 of said body. At the level of this zone the lid 57 is associated with a horn-shaped channel 60 matching the rounded or incurved shape of the body 51 of the device. This horn-~haped channel 60 ends at the level of an opening forming a pouring spout 60a. At its .. .. ..... .
other end is situated an opening 60b formed in the wali ~-55b of the collar 55. The pouring ~pout 60a is di~posed above the zone provided with the striations or surface irregularities 52b.
~his measuring and dispensing device is used in the manner which will now be described. The user first fills the container 51. Before pas~ing to the washing stage, the user may if desired effect the pretreatment of certain areas of the clothes by pouring detergent liquid by tilting the device, in such a manner that the liquid passes through the opening 60b and the pouring ~pout 60a.
It is to be noted that the fact that the principal plane of the contour of the opening 53 is slightly inclined in relation to the base 52 of the device make~ it possible to avoid acc$dentally pouring out the liquid when the device i~ placed on a flat horizontal surface before the pretreatment, the opening 60b being then situated above the level of the liquid. Once the liquid has been spresd over an area of the clothes, the user can treat that area by rubbing, by moving the striations 52b to-and-fro over said area of the garment, the device then being slightly straightened in relation to its previou~ position, so that the level of the detergent liquid in the container 51 is below the opening 60b. When the user has completed the pretreatment phase, he places the device in the drum WO92/09~36 '~ 3; 1 ` PCT/US91/08823 of the washing machine together with the clothes. In the course of the washing cycle the detergent liquid passes progressively out of the measuring and dispensing device by way of the outlets 58 provided in the lid 57.
A seventh measuring and dispensing device is also shown in Figures 14 and 15. As can be seen in these fig-ures, this device comprises a main body 61 having a shape of revolution delimited by generatrices extending from the contour of an elliptical base. The body 61 i~ ass-ociated with a lid 67, which has a concave profile in the direction of the base 62 and which i9 provided at its centre with a main filling opening 68a, around which elongated outlets 68b extend radially, the body 61 and its lid 67 being provided with a spout 70, which is a depres~Lon extending over the greater part of the height of the container 61 from the concave part of the lid 67.
At the end of said ~pout 70 close to the base 62 the outside walls of the body 61 may be provided with protub-erant striations 62b just below the spout 70. The body 61 i8 in ~ddition provided with a semi-annul~r depression 61b dispo~ed oppositely to said spout 60 and intended to permit better gripping of the entire device.
A me~uring and dispensing device of this kind is u~ed in the m4nner which will now be described. The user fills the container with detergent liquid by way of the openings 68a and 6ab. He can pretreat selected areas of a garment by pouring detergent liquid onto these areas by tiltlng the entire device so that the detergent liquid, passing through the opening~ 6~b facing the spout 60, is poured from the latter onto the areas to which ~he user wishes to apply said liquid. He can then apply rubbing with the aid of the striated surface 62b. Once the pre-treatment has been completed, the device i8 introduced into the drum of the machine together with the clothes.
Figures 16 and 17 further show a measuring and dis-pensing device according to an eighth possible variant of the invention. The body 71 of the device has the shape of a frustoconical cradle at its front part and ends in a wall having ~ubstantially the shape of an arc of a - , : , ~ ,, . . . : .

W092/09736 ~f~ 7;~ 3;' PCT/US91t08823 sphere at its rear part. The lid 76 associated with it comprise~ a collar part 75 and a part 77 forming a spout.
This spout 77 is associated with a cylindrical neck 77a extending from said spout 77 towards the bottom 72, and is mainly composed of a striated surface 77b which extend~ from the bottom of the collar 75 to the front of the device and is extended onto the front edge of the body 71 (striations 72b). The front part of the neck 77a has its outlet at the level of the bottom of the grooves in the surface 77, while its rear part has its outlet at the level of the top parts of the grooves which con-stitute said surface 77. At its front part this surface 77 has holes or outlets 78 passing through it.
For the purpose of filling this device, the user pours out the detergent liquid from the container constituted by the body 71 together with its ba~e 72. Once the lid 76 has been placed in position, the user can then pre-treat particularly soiled areas of the clothes by tilting the entire device forwards, so that the detergent liquid passing through the neck 77a and the holes 78 is carried into the grooves of the striated surface 77b to the sur-face on which the user wishes to apply the detergent liquid. He can then carry out the treatment by rubbing said surface with the aid of the part 72a of the striated surface 77a situated at the front of the body 71. When the pretreatment has been completed, as previously it is then only necessary to place the entire device, together with the clothes, in the drum of the mschine. In the course of the washing the detergent liquid will escape through the outlets 78 and the neck 77a.
The ninth possible variant embodiment of the inven-tion, which i~ illustrated in Figures 18 and 19, is very similar to that shown in Figures 12 and 13, since the body 81 of the device i~ provided, on a front part of greater height, with striations 82b which extend over contour peripheries one above the other from the base 82 to the lid 87. This lid 87 i~ provided with outlets 88.
On its front part it is provided with means 90 intended to permit a controlled pouring of the detergent liquid, W0 92/09736 '~ ''7~3;':: PCr/US91/08823 said means being a simple spout having an incurved base.
The utilization of a device of this kind is derived from the utilization of the device shown in Figures 12 and 13.
~he device according to a tenth variant of the inven-tion, which is shown in Figures 20 and 21, is very close to that shown in Figures 18 and 19, from which it differs essentially in that the lid 96 with which it is equipped has at its centre a filling opening 97a of large diameter, this opening 97a being supplemented by small openings 97b serving as outlets for progressive evacua-tion of the detergent liquid in the course of the wash-ing.
Figures 22 and 23 further show a device according to an eleventh em~odiment of the invention. The body 101 of this device has a substantially crushed, mainly spherical shape between its opening 103 and its base 102 in the form of a flat surface. This body is associated with a lid 106 the lower rims of which delimit an opening which widens out from the interior of the body 101 towards the outside, said rims consisting of a succession of super-posed frustoconical steps 106a which are provided with slits 107 intended to qerve as outlets to enable the body 101 to empty progre~sively in the course of a washing cycle. This lid 106 also has a spout 110 pro~ecting slightly in relation to the walls of the body 101. q!he body 101 is in turn provided, below said spout 110, with striation~ or grooves 102b extending from caid spout 110 to the base 102. ~he utilization of this device is also inspired by that of the previously described devices.
A device according to a twelfth variant of the inven-tion is further shown in Figures 24 and 25. This device comprises a spherical body 111 having a base 112 and an opening 113 slightly inclined relative to said base. An assembly 116 having a collar 115 provided with openings 117a and a main opening 117b is attached over the opening 113. In it~ interior the body 111 is provided with a wall E, likewise having the shape of an arc of a circle and extending from its base to its opening and, in con-junction with the outer wall, delimiting a chimney-like - . i . , .. , , . :

W092/09736 2~ ~ ~;23~ PCT/US91/08823 channel 120 provided towards the base 112 with an opening 120b leading to the outside of the device. This device is used substantially similarly to the mode of utiliza-tion of the devices already described: in order to dis-tribute the detergent liquid over areas of the garment which are to be pretreated, the user inclines the device towards the front, where the chimney-like channel 120 is associated, so that the liquid passes into said channel 120 and out of the latter at its opening 120b. Once the liquid has been distributed, the user can effect pretreatment by rubbing the garment with the front part 112b of the device.
A device according to a thirteenth po~ible em~odiment of the invention is further shown in Figures 26 and 27.
This device comprises mainly a hollow body 121, of mainly spherical shape, provided with a ~ase 122 and with a circular opening 123 surrounded by a rim 123a. This open-ing 123 is bordered by an annular cylindrical support skirt 124. This skirt 124 receives an annular collar 125 serving as a means for clipping to an attached assembly designated as a whole by the reference 126. In addition to this collar 125, this assembly 126 comprises a chimney with outer walls in the form of a truncated cone 127 extending in the 'interior of the body 121 from the open-ing 123 to a base 129 which terminates it, said base 129 being close to the base 122 and parallel thereto. This base 129 forms the small base of the truncated cone 127, the walls of said truncated cone 127 being continued beyond it~ large base, which is situated substantially at the level of the rim 123a and parallel to the ba~e 122, by a cylindrical wall 125a of the annular collar 125, this wall 125a matching the internal walls of the support ~kirt 124. This wall 125a and the part of largest diamet-er of the truncated cone 127 are separated from one another by an annular setback 130d which i~ vi~ible to an operator looking at the device from above. The diameter of the cylindrical wall 125a is, for this reason, slight-ly greater than the largest diameter of the truncated cone 127.

W092~0973 2~!~'7~3;~

The walls which define this truncated cone 127 in its interior comprise four successive parts of revolution designated, from the base 129 towards the opening 123, by the references 127a to 127d respectively. The inner walls S which define the parts 127a to 127c are cylindrical, the inside diameter of the part 127b being slightly greater than that of the part 127a, the diameter of the part 127c being slightly greater than that of the part 127b. The part 127d has, for its part, a fru~toconical internal shape, the small diameter of which is slightly greater than the diameter of the part 127c. Thus, the four parts 1,7a to 127d are separated from one another, in pairs, by a~mular setbacks which have been designated by the refer-ences 130a, 130b and 130c respectively and which, just like the setback 130d, are circles which are visible to an operator when he looks at the entire device from above. Three openings 128 are formed in the walls of the chimney in the form of the truncated cone 127. These three openings 128 are of identical shape and are dis-tributed regularly over the said part 127. They each extend from the b~se 129 to the annular setback 130c.
These openings 128 are shaped in the form of pyramids with three tiers. The opening portions 128a to 128c corresponding to them at the level of the parts 12?a to 127c are of mainly rectangular shspe and are centred on one and the same axis of symmetry, the portion 128a being wider than the portion 128b, which is itself wider than the portion 128c.
At the top, the body 121 is provided with a pouring spout 130 which pro~ects in relation to the main shape of said body 121. This pouring spout is provided with an opening 130a which is a flat slit.
The body 121 has a shape which is particularly suita-ble for manual gripping of the device by a user, and for this purpose has two depressions 121a disposed sy~metri-cally on the body 121 in relation to the pouring spou~
130.
A device of this kind is used in the manner which will now be de~cribed. It is initially in place on the cap of :-: . ... . . .

`

a bottle of liquid detergent, not shown. It is held on said cap in a conventional manner, for example by clamp- ~ -ing its internal walls on the external wall3 of said caps. For this purpose, the entire device may be made, more particularly, of a flexible plastic material. The user can thus easily detach the entire device from the bottle on which it is presented, and then fill the device with liquid detergent. The detergent is poured through the opening 123 into the truncated cone 127 and passes through the openings 128 into the envelope 121. The an-nular shoulders 130a to 130c serve as filling indicators for the user of the device. The user will be able to ad~ust the measured quantity of liquid detergent in his/her device depending upon the type of wash which is to be carried out.
After this filling stage, the user will be able to carry out a pretreatment of the clothes by spreading the detergent liquid over areas thereof which are more par-ticularly stained. Por this purpose, the user will tilt his/her device forwards so that the liquid passes through the opening 130a of the ~pout 130. The device will have been gripped by way of the gripping depressions 121a. The pretreatedclothes and the device are then placed together in the drum of the machine. ~he amount of detergent liquid which will be used during the washing cycle will thus correspond to that which ha~ in~tially been measured out by the user and which i~ to be found mainly in the device, but also partly on the pretreated clothes.
Reference will now be made to figures 28 to 30. The measuring and di~pensing device shown there comprises a body 141 of ma$nly spherical shape, having a base 142 and a circular opening 143 surrounded by a cylindrical skirt 144 extending perpendicularly to the rim 143a formed by 3aid body 141 at the level of said opening. Said rim 143a i~ parallel to the base 142. Attached to this skirt 144 and to the opening 143 are, on the one hand, an assembly 150 which is snapped onto said skirt 144 and, on the other hand, an assembly 146 provided with a collar 145, the inner wall of which cooperates, by clamping, with the WO92/09736 '~ 7 ~ 3`' PCTtUS91/08823 wall of the assembly 150, in order to hold said as~embly 146 in relation to the entire device and to the opening 143, while allowing said collar 145 and the assembly 146 to pivot in the circular opening 143. The assembly 150 is a guiding framework of mainly cylindrical shape. On its contour there are defined three helical guiding slots 151 distri~uted uniformly over its periphery and extending between a lower hoop and an upper hoop 152a and 152b of the assembly 150. The upper hoop 152b carries the edge 153 which is snapped onto the skirt 144. The helical braces on which the slots 151 are formed are inter-connected by braces 154 which form, for the framework 150, two intermediate hoops between the lower and upper hoops 152a and 152b.
The assembly 146 is likewise of general cylindrical shape. It comprises, for its part, between the above mentioned cylindrical wall 145a and a lower haop 147, threestraightslotsl48extendinginbraces perpendicularly to the main plane of said hoop 147 up to the cylindrical wall 145a. The braces which carry these slots l~a are interconnected by two intermediate hoops 149. The slots 148 and their braces are likewise distributed uniformly over the periphery of the assembly 146. When the assembly is fitted together, each slot 148 is opposite one, and only one, slot 151.
The assemblies 146 and 150 are associated with a plate 155 which is a dLsc, the diameter of which corresponds substantially to the internal diameter of the assembly 146. This disc 155 is provided with three pins 156 which are disposed radially in relation to said disc 155, ex-tending outwards from the contour of said disc. These pins 156 have dimension~ which enable them to be inserted into the slots 148 and 151 with which they cooperate.
The body 141 of the device is provided with a pouring spout 160, the opening of which is a slit 160a. The ex-ternal wall of the collar 145 is provided, for its part, opposite this pouring spout 160 with a plurality of pro~ecting markers 161, whereas the wall of the rim 143a is provided with a fixed marker 162 which is disposed WO92t09736 - 23 - PCT/US91/08823 symmetrically in relation to the spout 160. Depressions 163 are disposed on the body 141 on each side of the pouring spout 160. These depressions 163 are intended to permit gripping of the entire device.
A device of this kind is used in the manner which will now be described. The structure of this device permits a user, by pivoting the attached assembly 146 about the axis of the body 141 by manipulation of the collar 145, to adjust the position of the base 155 in relation to the body 141 and to the assemblies 146 and 160. When the assembly 146 is driven to pivot on itself, the pin- 156 and the disc 155 are likewise driven in rotation about the szme axis. The helical slots 151 formed in the assembly 150 drive said pins in an upward movement in the slots 148 formed in the assembfïy ïi6.
When an operator wishes to use ~ measuring and dis-pensing device of this kind, he/she first adjusts the height of the plate 155 in relation to the assemblies 146 and 150 and to the body 141 by turning the collar 145 and the assembly 146 about the axis of said body 141 in order to make that of the markers 161 which appears to correspond to the wash which he/she desires coincide with the marker 162. He then fills the device with washing liquid, using the plate ~155 as a filling marker. He~she can then carry out a pretreatment of the clothes by distributing liquid, via the spout 160 and its opening 160a over the stains on said clothe~ which sppear stubborn. Once this pretreatment has been carried out, he/she positions the device in the drum of the washing machine together with the clothe~. The amount of liquid which will be used for the waQhing cycle will be that which he/she init ally measured out using the plate 155 as a marker, since this amount will correspond to the amount distributed over the pretreated parts of the clothes and to the amount remaining in the device.
The embodLments described above with reference to the accompanying drawings constitute only illustrations of the means according to the invention and other variants are pos~ible by modification of the shape~ of the device , ~. - . . . : .

W092~09736 2~` ~ 7~3;. PCT/US91/08823 - 2~ -and of the pretreatment means associated with it. In view of the fact that the device is intended to serve as a dispenser after it ha~ been placed inside the drum of the machine, it must not have any sharp edges capable of damaging the clothes. The ~hape of the body of the device and of the pretreatment means must therefore con-form to this requirement in a manner ~nown to those versed in the art. Preference should be given to rounded and curved shapes.
In addition, the materials of which the device of the irvention is made are advantageously the plastics mater-ials already proposed for this type of device, for example polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, although this list is not limitative. As those versed in the art are aware, pl~stics materials are very suitable for this type of device, on the one hand for making connections between the various component parts, for example by mating shapes, and on the other hand in order to with-stand the conditions prevailing in the washing machine, namely a temperature which may reach values close to lOO-C, in a neutral medium or one having a basic pH.
It will also be noted that, in order not to overburden the description, forms of construction already explained in connection with other variant~ have not been explained again for each variant. For example, the nozzles or spout~ may be provided with means of the type described in connection with Figure 7A for controlling the flow of detergent liquid during the pretreatment. In addition, the arrangement of the rubbing means on the body of the device i8 not in any way critical. The surface irregu-larities may be provided in any suitable position on the bottom or the side walls of the body, including the edge of the flat surface constituting the base.
Similarly, the gripping means may be varied at will.
The description of cavities or depressions is purely illustrative. This type of means is easy to produce during the moulding of the body of the device.
With regard to the method of msnufacture, in~ection moulding is very appropriate for plastics materials. In ,. .- .- ,. . . ;

.. .. .. .

particular it makes it possible to produce a body of a device and the associated pretreatment means in a ingle operation.
Furthermore, the device of the invention may be used with widely varying formulations of washing products. As an example, a standard formulation of a detergent liquid and three compositions of additives are given in the following table.

- ~ . . . . .

WO92/09736 2~ 733~;' PCT/US91/08823 Liquid Additives detergent No.1 No.2 No.3 ________________________________________________________ Linear alkylbenzene sulphonate 13 5 Sodium alkylsulphate 2 2 Alkylalcohol ethoxylates 8 5 Dodecenylsuccinic acid Zeolite 1~
Polyacrylate polymer 4 Citric acid 3 Sodium citrate .. 15.
Oleic acid 2 Perborate (P~1) 45 45 25 Tetraacetylethylenediamine 16 16 9 Diethylenetriamine penta-methylene phosphonic acid 0-4 Zn phthalocyanine sulphonate 0.04 0.015 Protease (4.0 RNPU) 0.9 1.25 Amylase (125 RNU/g) 0.09 Optical brightener 0.16 0.07 Silicate 2 Carbonate 2 Sulphate 39 24 19 Complement to 100 59 0 0 0

Claims

Claims 1. Measuring and dispensing device of the reusable type for the machine washing of clothes, which comprises a hollow body closed at one end by a base and intended to receive the amount prescribed for the washing or at least one useful product, such as a liquid detergent or a washing additive, said hollow body being provided with at least one filling opening and with outlets for the distribution of said product or products, the said device being intended to be placed, with the clothes to be washed, in the drum of the machine, where it is progres-sively emptied or its contents in the course or the wash-ing cycle, and wherein it is provided with means enabling the user to effect, once said device has been filled, an easy and controlled application of at least one product contained in it to selected areas of a garment, before the latter is washed in the machine, in order to effect a pretreatment of said areas before the washing cycle, the measuring and dispensing device, con-taining the amount of product remaining after the pre-treatment, being introduced together with the clothes into the machine, and in that said pretreatment means form an integral part of the device. 2. Device accord-ing to Claim 1, wherein the pretreatment means comprise means enabling a controlled amount of product to be poured out onto areas of garments requiring pretreatment.
3. Device according to Claim 2, wherein the means enabling a controlled amount of product to be poured out comprise a pouring spout or nozzle leading to the outside of the device.
4. Device according to Claim 3, wherein the pretreatment means comprise a pouring spout leading to the outside of the device and ending in a channel which is in communication with the interior of the device in a zone of the latter remote from its base.
5. Device according to Claim 4, wherein the pouring spout is distant from the base of said device, while the channel passes substantially radially through the wall of the body of said device.
6. Device according to Claim 4, wherein the pouring spout is close to the base of the device.
7. Device according to Claim 6 wherein the channel terminating in the pouring spout extends in the walls of an assembly attached to the body or said device, capping its filling opening, while at the opposite end to that where the pouring spout is located said channels leads into the interior of the device.
8. Device according to Claim 6, wherein the pretreatment means comprise means enabling a user to apply treatment by rubbing to the areas of the garment requiring pretreatment.
9. Device according to Claim 1 wherein the body or said device is provid-ed with irregularities projecting from the wall on which they are formed.
10. Device according to Claim 8, wherein said irregularities are grooves or striations and/or are small studs provided on the base of the container.
11. Device according to one of Claims 9 or 10, wherein surface irregularities are provided on the wall of the container in the immediate vicinity of the pouring spout or nozzle.
12. Device according to Claim 3 taken alone or in com-bination with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the centre plane of its filling opening is inclined in relation to the centre plane of its base, while the pouring spout or the nozzle is disposed in a zone of said device at the level of which said opening is most distant from said base.
13. Device according to Claim 1 wherein its body is provided with gripping depressions.
14. Device according to Claim 1 wherein it is divided internally by walls intended to prevent accidental pouring out of a product which is not desirable for the pretreatment.

15. Device according to Claim 1 wherein the body of said device is divided internally by walls which in its interior delimit a plurality of compartments each intended to receive a different active product.
16. Device according Claim 1 wherein it comprises in its interior at least one measuring marker.
17. Device according to Claim 16, wherein said marker is of adjustable height in relation to the base of the device.
18. Method of utilizing the device according to Claim 1 for the machine washing of clothes, wherein the measuring and dispensing device is filled with the amount of liquid detergent prescribed for a wash, a controlled amount of said detergent is applied to selected areas of the clothes with the aid of the pre-treatment means, and the measuring and dispensing device is then placed in known manner in the drum of the machine together with the clothes to be washed, said device con-taining the residual amount of said detergent.
19. Method of utilization according to Claim 18, of a multi-compartment measurinq and dispensing device, wherein one of the compartments, which is associated with the pretreatment means, is filled with the amount of detergent liquid prescribed for a wash, the other com-partments are filled with one or more additives, a con-trolled amount of said detergent is applied to selected areas of the clothes with the aid of the pretreatment means, and the measuring and dispensing device is then placed in known manner in the drum of the machine together with the clothes to be washed, said device con-taining the residual amount of said detergent.
20. Method for the pretreatment and the machine washing of clothes, characterised by the following successive stages:

- the total amount of detergent liquid to be used during the washing cycle is measured out into a measuring and dispensing device;
- a pretreatment of the clothes is carried out with a controlled amount of the measured-out liquid, contained in said device;
- the clothes thus pretreated and the device con-taining the residual amount of detergent liquid are placed in the drum of the washing machine, so that the clothes are washed with the amount of detergent liquid initially measured out.