CN101400291B - Multi-dosing detergent delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-dosing detergent delivery device that is removably insertable into an automatic dishwashing machine. The device comprises a cartridge capable of receiving therein a rack of dosage elements of a cleaning composition, a collection area formed in a lid area of said device suitable to collect water/wash liquor in a main wash cycle of a dishwasher and a directing means to direct water or wash liquor from said collection area selectively to an interior part of said device. In particular, the device of the present invention includes a sieve arrangement located in the lid area to prevent or impede particles from blocking water/wash liquor flow into said interior part of the device.

Description

Multi-dosing detergent delivery device

Technical field

The present invention relates to multi-dosing detergent delivery device, a plurality of dosage elements that it comprises Cleasing compositions are used for rinsing maching, for example are used for dish-washing machine or washing machine.

Background technology

In multi-dosing detergent delivery device, must supply water to the tube that separates selectively, thereby the directed current that enter single compartment are provided.This supply system is subjected to congestion affects also to need to remove tamper easily and obtains best water flow.

Water filtering system complicated in the dish-washing machine in Europe is handled food stains and caking from dirty tableware.Yet when the consumer handled dirty bowl dish, when on the support that they is placed on dish-washing machine, and the filtration system of dish-washing machine was inadequately effectively the time in some cases, and food stains still can enter system.

In the dish-washing machine that generally use the North America, this problem even more serious.The common efficient of dish-washing machine filtration system is lower, so food particle RT in cleaning fluid prolongs.Food particle also is pumped into everywhere and can arrives the water system of equipment in dish-washing machine.This causes every once will stopping up supply system fully to twice operation, and causes not dissolving or not exclusively dissolving of washing agent in the main washing cycle of dish-washing machine.

Because the design of dish-washing machine has nothing in common with each other all over the world, and the filtration system of using in dish-washing machine shows this variation, guarantees that in the dish-washing machine environment it not is footy that Cleasing compositions problem of suitable dissolving in preset time is put into practice so attempt to solve.

Summary of the invention

Therefore, the target of preferred implementation of the present invention provides a kind of multiple dose transport tube, it can overcome or reduce described problem as far as possible, and good anti-obstruction is provided, and no matter the type of dish-washing machine how or in any given dish-washing machine, how to settle this equipment.

According to first mode of the present invention, a kind of multi-dosing detergent delivery device that inserts removedly in the automatic dish-washing machine is provided, this equipment comprises: the tube of support that can receive the dosage element of Cleasing compositions therein; The collecting zone that is suitable in the main washing cycle of dish-washing machine, collecting water/cleaning fluid that in the lid area of described equipment, forms; From optionally water or cleaning fluid the are led guider of inside of described equipment of described collecting zone, wherein said equipment comprises that also filter screen prevents or stops particulates plug water/cleaning fluid to flow into the inside of described equipment.

Preferably, described filter screen is arranged in the lid area of described equipment, and most preferably, the whole available water collecting zone of crossing described lid basically extends.

Preferably, described filter screen comprises non-hydrophobic material.

Preferably, described filter screen comprises non-plastic material.

Preferably, described filter screen comprises stainless (steel) wire.

Preferably, the mesh size of described net is between 3.5 millimeters to 0.2 millimeter, most preferably between 1 millimeter and 0.4 millimeter.

In a preferred embodiment, described filter screen comprises market grade, plain weave, 304 stainless steel filtering nets.Described net can have 0.4 to 0.42 millimeter preferred aperture size, and is made by the wire rod of diameter in 0.2 to 0.24 scope.

Preferably, described equipment is the about 8 centimetres cylindrical device of diameter.

Preferably, each dosage element is an elongate formation, and is contained in and has at least one and be used to receive in the chamber from the opening of the filtered water/cleaning fluid of described guider.

Preferably, the form of the parallel array of the elongated chamber of described support, each chamber comprises the solid dosage element.Preferably, nested form normally is placed in the tubular in the equipment easily.

Preferably, each dosage element comprises the Cleasing compositions between 15 to 25 grams.

Preferably, each chamber comprises the sleeve pipe of for example being made by plastic material.Optionally, can use any other suitable material, for example, based on the material (especially being covered) of cardboard by the resistance to water material.Laminated paper board with suitable layering is a kind of spendable material.Each sleeve pipe can have at least one opening and come the acceptable dose element in use to be flushed away.Preferably, each sleeve pipe has two openings at opposite two ends, makes water can enter an end (upper end in the use), and carries dissolving or the Cleasing compositions that breaks away from and leave the other end (lower end in the use).Upper shed can suitably have at least 10 square millimeters, is preferably at least 30 square millimeters, most preferably is at least 60 square millimeters area.It can suitably have 200 square millimeters, is preferably 160 square millimeters, most preferably is 120 square millimeters area.The upper surface of this sleeve pipe can suitably complete opening.Under shed can suitably have at least 3 square millimeters, is preferably at least 6 square millimeters, most preferably is at least 10 square millimeters area.It can suitably have 200 square millimeters, is preferably 60 square millimeters, most preferably is 20 square millimeters area.The preferred not exclusively opening of the lower surface of sleeve pipe makes it that dosage element is retained in the appropriate location, dissolves when using.Can have one or more middle openings in the side of sleeve pipe (that is, between upper shed and under shed), and the size of opening preferably meets the above qualification that provides under shed.

Preferably, described sleeve-shaped becomes single-piece.This single-piece can be the form of the molded or hot formed dish with a plurality of compartments, wherein is placed with dosage element.Can on dish, enclose dosage element by the fixed-bearing material.Dish and gasket material form sleeve pipe together in this embodiment.Optionally, this gasket material can be positioned on the inboard of sleeve pipe so that dosage element is outwards outstanding from this, for example has the center core of the gasket material of the sleeve pipe that comprises radially outward outstanding gasket material.

Dosage element is solid cleaning composition and can is granular materials equally that for example powder or granule need only material and can be retained until for example being flushed away in use in aforesaid sleeve pipe.Yet preferably, dosage element is the solid cleaning composition on the meaning that can not flow.Preferably, they are cohesive body; Preferably form for example injection moulding, extruding, casting or compression molding by molded or forming technology.In the specific embodiment of the present invention, solid cleaning composition can be viscogel or paste, thereby as long as it has enough viscosity to flow.

Preferably, dosage element is mutually the same.

Preferably, dosage element has essentially identical cross section along their length; Specifically, they preferably can not be tapered.

Preferably, described support makes that under its nested form, every pair of dosage element is divided by a gap, and the partial depth to dosage element is like this at least.Preferably extend towards described liner part in this gap, for example extends to apart from 1/3rd to 2/3rds of the distance of described liner.The device tube that is placed with nested rack in the use preferably has row from the wall of hub diameter to extension, and wherein when article were arranged in device cartridge, the gap must cooperate with partition wall.Between gap and partition wall, have man-to-man corresponding relation, but preferably the gap ratio partition wall is more.Three or four partition walls be enough to usually to make nested rack correct be arranged in device cartridge.Generally we we can say and preferably have 3-8 partition wall, are preferably 4-6.

Multi-dosing detergent delivery device is plastic body normally, and is hard and firm, but in a single day nested rack has not had dosage element just light and even may be quite fragile.Support only suitably comprises gasket material and sleeve pipe (sleeve pipe can be light hot forming sheet or film).Support is used as filler, and the remaining part of multiple dose conveying equipment (comprising tube, collecting zone and guide device) is retained.When the dosage element of support was used up, material consumption was very little.Thereby the present invention can see desirable environmental protection solution as.

Preferably, equipment has the device that the water order is sent to dosage element support (the each cleaning is sent to a support).This device operable automatically or operate before beginning to clean by the user.

Description of drawings

Further specify the present invention referring now to the mode of accompanying drawing by embodiment, in the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 represents the support of the dosage element that uses with multi-dosing detergent delivery device of the present invention with nested form with the stereogram of roughly looking from the top;

Fig. 2 is illustrated in goods among Fig. 1 under the nested form with side view;

Fig. 3 is with the goods in the plane form presentation graphs 1;

Fig. 4 is with the dosage element among plan representation Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 A represents to be introduced into the goods among the Fig. 1 of the multi-dosing detergent delivery device among Fig. 5 B, and the dosage element that comprises shown in Fig. 5 C selects the lid of equipment to be removed;

Fig. 6 represents to be arranged in the goods of Fig. 1 of the keeper of Fig. 5 B; And

Fig. 7 represents the equipment assembled fully, and it has the lid of Fig. 5 C on the article assembly that is placed among keeper and Fig. 6.

The specific embodiment

The support of the dosage element of Fig. 1 is made for the smooth vinyl disc of the strip blister container (blisterpocket) 2 shown in Fig. 3, comprises hot formed vinyl disc.The openend of each blister container 2 is formed with collar flange 4 (can find out) around its periphery in Fig. 2.The solid rod of Cleasing compositions or excellent 6 (being used in this embodiment cleaning at automatic dish-washing machine) are introduced in the blister pouch.Can realize this point in a different manner.For instance, in one embodiment, Cleasing compositions can inject or drop into container.Yet in this embodiment, bar or rod are pre-formed by injection moulding or extruding, by the length cutting, put into container then then.It should be noted that they are introduced into container each container is filled to bottom 8, but at top leaving space 10.Make water enter container thereby stay this space 10, as described later, also can help in the time period that shortens, Cleasing compositions to be dissolved fully by the opening in the container upper end wall 12.In this embodiment, each described opening 12 is circular, and diameter is 8 millimeters.In the base end wall of goods, form identical opening (not shown), thereby make water and the Cleasing compositions that carries or dissolve to leave container.

In case all containers (by any means) all just cover spacer block 14 on the openend and are fixed to flange 4 for the bar or the rod of Cleasing compositions are arranged.Liner can be by any mode easily (for example by heat or adhesive) attached to the there.

Next, be the linear array of bar or rod or the flat article of the form of support now and can be curled into nested form shown in Figure 1.In this embodiment, nested form is cylindrical array roughly.It can be retained in its nested form by a slice adhesive tape 16.

Liner can be printed on data at it on outer side, for example trade mark, product style and/or use information.

As shown in Figure 4, each bar or rod---and each bubble-cap accordingly, have flat base wall 18 against spacer block 14.Each bar or rod and each bubble-cap are tapered to narrower distal end wall 20 from diapire 18 usually.Sidewall progressively attenuates at first (as 22,24 places), some rapid inside dislocation (dislocation) 26 takes place then, sentences midrange speed ( sidewall sections 22 and 26 the speed between the speed of attenuating of misplacing) 27 then and is tapered, up to arriving distal end wall 20.

Bar or rod can be considered the have triangular prism general shape of (being that section is a triangle).More precisely, as mentioned above, sidewall is tapered in discontinuous mode.

Should be noted in the discussion above that bar or rod are positioned on the spacer block, they flat base wall 18 upper booms or rod between have gap 28.

When should also be noted that bar or rod are in being in its nested form, between their remote area, has gap 30.

Spacer block has preferential fold line 32 owing to the used mould of hot forming aborning.These fold lines 32 align with the gap 28 between bar or the rod.

The final effect of these features is following and can clearly see in Fig. 1: when goods were formed its nested form, spacer block moved in the mode that flexibly connects around its fold line 22.This suit or folding be that gap 28 and 30 allow; If bar or rod only be mutually against, so because the obstruction of physics and do not allow this operation.As can be seen from Figure 1, even in nested form, also can keep gap 30 (though obviously narrowing down) in the remote area.

In use, the support of dosage element is the filler of supplying with its nested form shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 A.Shown in Fig. 5 B, it is inserted in the keeper in this nested form.Keeper is a cylindrical tub, and it has from its bottom basically along the axial projections 40 of the upwardly extending hub shape of whole axial length of tube.Four fins 42 are outwards outstanding from projection 40, set 90 ° interval for.About 4/10 of the radial distance of fin extension keeper.

Keeper has the handle 44 of suspension.

The diapire of keeper is big opening (not shown).

Keeper has the lid shown in Fig. 5 C.Lid limits water/cleaning fluid collecting zone, whole surface area that lid is crossed in this zone basically (in other words, basically cross whole transverse cross-sectional area of cylindrical device) extend and have by filter screen 48 around central caliberating device 46, thereby allow agranular water to enter into retainer.This central authorities' caliberating device has digital rotating disk 54 around having button 50 and button, and this numeral equates with the bar of Cleasing compositions or the quantity of rod.At every turn will be with in the dish-washing machine, the user presses the button and makes the control rotating disk numeral of advancing, thereby next channel washer or rod are come into operation.This is by with position of the perforate disc spins in the lid, makes that entering water in the keeper imports by the guide device that comprises perforate and realize to align with next bar or rod.Water by with lid in the opening 12 of register enter suitable bubble-cap.Water can be filled in the space 10 of bar or rod top.Bar or rod are immersed in water and dissolve and/or pulverize, and leave bubble-cap by bottom opening.

In the clean-up performance test of equipment, use the dirty plate that spot is certain and quantity is certain.In test, find in equipment, to exist " bottleneck " of restriction current, this bottleneck is equal to about 3 millimeters * 4 millimeters contraction that the hole provided of size.In the test of the dish-washing machine that designs at the North America, do not having under the situation of screen system, bottleneck stops up fully every once cleaning to become mainly due to the meat mincing spot.

By in equipment, comprising filter screen 48, obtain following result.

The initial plastic filter screen (making) that uses by polypropylene or polyethylene, however only surprisingly finding could provide sufficient current/flow of liquor effectively when mesh size very big (diameter 4mm or more than).Needing so big size is because plastic material has hydrophobic feature, cause the surface tension/contact angle of formation with the relative higher observation of water on plastics of bubble, and less mesh seriously limits flowing of water/cleaning fluid.Yet unfortunately when big mesh size allows enough clean water to flow, to such an extent as to mesh size does not provide any effective filtration to filter spot effectively from cleaning fluid to it greatly.

Be to have found that the metal mesh opening filter screen is effective especially unexpectedly.The stainless steel mesh filter screen of various mesh sizes had carried out test.Water can reach 0.3 millimeter perforate by mesh size.The stainless steel filtering net of certain mesh size can filter the cleaning fluid of access arrangement effectively, and can not make current reduce to unacceptable degree (the current minimizing is no more than 35%) on the other hand, and in fact, can help to eliminate bottleneck and make overall flow smooth and easy from device interior.

Have been found that particularly preferred filter screen mesh is the stainless steel filtering net of the perforate of mesh size between 3.5 millimeters and 0.2 millimeter, and most preferably be the perforate between 0.4 to 1 millimeter, be used for when significantly not reducing current, effectively filtering food stains.In preferred implementation of the present invention, it is 0.415 millimeter and market grade, plain weave, 304 stainless steel filtering nets made by the wire rod of 0.22 millimeter of diameter that the filter screen of use is known as mesh size.

In the device in accordance with the invention, some surprisingly, we found to realize bar or the rod excellent dissolution.May think in the past by with water vertically or longitudinally guiding bring in dissolving to one of the dosage element of Cleasing compositions they may be inefficent methods.In fact dissolving that can be fabulous or diffusion, and because it can not take in the dish-washing machine available " bottom surface area (footprint area) ", so the space is also saved in such setting very much much more very.

When the bottom surface area of the minimum of determining equipment, relate to a plurality of factors.The first, common situation is: for the effective cleaning cycle that will be carried out by dish-washing machine, dosage element should comprise the Cleasing compositions between 15 to 25 grams.In order to work in equipment of the present invention effectively, the averag density of composition is set in the scope of 1.0 to 1.5 gram/cubic centimetres, and the hardness of preferred compositions is between 100N-400N.

When the required size of arrival equipment,, find that in general the water velocity in the dish-washing machine is in the scope of every square centimeter 1 gram of per minute water to 15 gram water at the environment of the flow analysis dish-washing machine of water/cleaning fluid.

Test shows, in the complete water-immersed standard dissolving test of washing agent, the Cleasing compositions that washes the dishes (washing agent) of standard showed 5 to 20 minutes after fully and dissolves under the situation of 40 ℃ and mechanism.

When the standard dissolution time of utilization is 10 minutes Cleasing compositions, need minimum current, yet be 20 minutes cleaning combination for the standard dissolution time by the per minute 200 gram water of chamber, need to have found the current of per minute 500 grams.Preferably, equipment employing standard dissolution time of the present invention is 5 minutes a Cleasing compositions.

Find, can by any means collect and the equipment that guides the water of minimum per minute 50 grams to enter chamber can to dissolve the standard dissolution time under 50 ℃ normal procedure be 5 minutes Cleasing compositions.

For equipment, it is desirable to, can both work Anywhere in being positioned over the dish-washing machine that can only utilize minimum water, thereby perhaps supposition has only the water of every square centimeter 1 gram of per minute to use.Consider this point, be enough to provide per minute 50 gram water in order to ensure described water collecting zone, 50 square centimeters water collecting zone is desirable, this means that cylindrical device will need about 8 square centimeters diameter.Though more than may be the optimum size of equipment, but should understand the present invention and can be considered the different equipment of size that covers in the certain limit, for example, the equipment of water collecting zone in 30 square centimeters to 80 square centimeters scopes, and under the flow velocity condition with higher of known water/cleaning fluid, the equipment that can utilize size to reduce.Most preferably, the ratio of described water collecting zone and Cleasing compositions standard dissolution time is in 5 to 50 scope, especially in 10 to 30 the scope.

When we speak of the standard dissolution time, refer to Cleasing compositions and decompose institute's time spent in given test environment basically fully.In such test, dosage element is arranged in the can separately, and carries out mechanical agitation in 40 ℃ water.In fact, dosage element is dissolving fully not, because they contain some water-fast components, so we can not finish CL but " standard dissolving ", and this here is equivalent to decompose fully.

Be surprised to find that, when each dosage element is contained in volumetric ratio when being stored in the chamber of wherein Cleasing compositions bigger (therefore the space 10 on bar or rod is bigger), help the dissolving of the Cleasing compositions in the equipment, and to provide the space between the bottom of the outer tube of the lowermost portion of Cleasing compositions bar and its correspondence also be desirable.When the volume of chamber surpasses the volume 40% of dosage element, and most preferably when the volume of chamber when the volume 15% of dosage element is between 20%, improved dissolving significantly.

As finding out among Fig. 6 a, when goods were arranged in the bucket of keeper, fin 42 was arranged in the gap 30 of suit goods.The allowance of the fin in gap 30 not quite and in this case guarantee bar or the rod and upper shed 12 be positioned at correct direction, thereby with lid in register.

Fig. 7 shows the device after the assembling fully.

Be apparent that for technicians, under situation about not departing from the scope of the present invention, can make a lot of modification equipment.For instance, though be arranged in around the central water collecting zone of the lid 46 of button 50 at the filter screen 48 shown in Fig. 5 (c), it can be advantageously utilised in the dissimilar equipment, for example has the equipment of the automatic calibration system that is driven by for example wax motor.In these cases, mesh can advantageously spread all over whole top surface area of the lid of equipment.

Claims (11)

1. multi-dosing detergent delivery device that inserts removedly in the automatic dish-washing machine, this equipment comprises: the tube of support that can receive the dosage element of Cleasing compositions therein; The collecting zone that in the lid area of described equipment, forms, be suitable in the main washing cycle of dish-washing machine, collecting water/cleaning fluid; From optionally water or cleaning fluid the are led guider of inside of described equipment of described collecting zone, wherein said equipment comprises that also filter screen prevents or stops particulates plug water/cleaning fluid to flow into the described inside of described equipment, and described filter screen is arranged in the lid area of described equipment.

2. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the whole available water collecting zone that described filter screen is crossed described lid basically extends.

3. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described filter screen comprises non-hydrophobic material.

4. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described filter screen comprises non-plastic material.

5. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described filter screen comprises wire netting.

6. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described filter screen comprises stainless (steel) wire.

7. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the mesh size of described filter screen is between 3.5 millimeters and 0.2 millimeter.

8. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described filter screen has the mesh size between 1 millimeter to 0.4 millimeter.

9. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described filter screen comprises market grade, plain weave, 304 stainless steel filtering nets.

10. equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described filter screen has the aperture size in 0.4 to 0.42 millimeter scope.

11. use the method for the described equipment of claim 1, this method comprises: this equipment is placed in the basket/support of dish-washing machine, closes the door of dish-washing machine and carry out the circulation of dish-washing machine.

Images