EP0576234B1 - Dispensing device - Google Patents

Dispensing device Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0576234B1
EP0576234B1 EP93304824A EP93304824A EP0576234B1 EP 0576234 B1 EP0576234 B1 EP 0576234B1 EP 93304824 A EP93304824 A EP 93304824A EP 93304824 A EP93304824 A EP 93304824A EP 0576234 B1 EP0576234 B1 EP 0576234B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sleeve
tablets
tablet
washing machine
holes
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP93304824A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0576234A1 (en
Inventor
Georgina Hawkes
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Unilever PLC
Unilever NV
Original Assignee
Unilever PLC
Unilever NV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Unilever PLC, Unilever NV filed Critical Unilever PLC
Publication of EP0576234A1 publication Critical patent/EP0576234A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0576234B1 publication Critical patent/EP0576234B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
    • D06F39/02—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
    • D06F39/024—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents mounted on the agitator or the rotating drum; Free body dispensers

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a device for dispensing detergent or other laundry treatment tablets into the wash liquor within the drum of a washing automatic machine.
  • Such dispensing devices can be useful in the washing of laundry with both liquid detergent and solid detergent such as in powdered, granular, flake or particulate form particularly when the compositions are difficult to dispense by means of automatic dosing systems incorporated into the washing machine or, even if they can be automatically dispensed by such automatic dosing systems, the dosing systems and the design of the washing machine are such that a proportion of the detergent composition flows to dead areas of the machine and is not fully drawn into the wash liquor in contact with the laundry.
  • the detergent composition prefferably dispensed from such a dispensing device at the commencement, or shortly after the commencement, of the washing cycle of the machine in order to maximise the exposure of the laundry to wash liquor containing the detergent composition. This is particularly important when the wash cycle time of the machine is relatively short.
  • EP 340 069 A Procter & Gamble
  • EP 343 070 A Procter & Gamble
  • EP 343 069 A discloses a reusable receptacle for dispensing a detergent in powder or tablet form.
  • the receptacle is a flexible bag-like body with a closable opening. In use the receptacle is filled with detergent powder, the receptacle is then closed and placed in the washing machine with the laundry, and a normal wash programme is followed.
  • EP 343 070 A discloses an essentially flexible bag-shaped sleeve having a mouth attached to a rigid ring member which maintains the mouth of the bag open during the wash.
  • the bag is made from material which allows the aqueous washing solution to penetrate through the bag but which is capable of retaining the particulate product while it is still solid.
  • a disadvantage is that the ring around the outside of the mouth of the bag presents an edge which in use can damage delicate laundry, particularly when used in a front-loading washing machine i.e. one having a drum rotatable about a horizontal axis.
  • a dispensing device designed specifically for detergents in tablet form is disclosed in EP 473 532 A (Viking Industries Ltd).
  • the device has a flexible bag-like body, and within the bag-like body is a freely movable member which aids disintegration of the tablet during the wash cycle. Disintegration is aided during the wash cycle by the wash load compressing the flexible body of the bag thus pressing the tablets against the freely movable member and so causing the tablets to disintegrate.
  • a disadvantage of tablets is that they have a tendency, during the wash cycle, to lodge between the door and the drum of front loading washing machines. This problem is exacerbated by the door design in some makes of washing machine.
  • an object of the present invention is a dispensing device for tablets which achieves satisfactory dispensing and tablet disintegration and also overcomes the problem of lodging.
  • the present invention provides a method of treating fabrics in an automatic washing machine which comprises placing in with the fabrics laundry treatment tablets enclosed in a dispensing device comprising a sleeve of elastic material which is stretched against its elasticity and conforms tightly to the tablet(s), and which in the stretched state has holes which are sufficiently large to allow water flow therethrough.
  • the device can serve to inhibit the lodging of tablets in undesired locations such as at the door of a front loading automatic washing machine.
  • the invention also provides the use of a sleeve of elastic material as a device for dispensing one or more laundry treatment tablets in a washing machine, the sleeve when stretched being capable of conforming tightly to the tablet(s) and having holes which in the stretched state of the sleeve are sufficiently large to allow water flow therethrough.
  • the device utilised in this invention is for dispensing at least one detergent or laundry treatment tablet.
  • the device comprises a sleeve having elastic properties so that it is capable of conforming tightly to the tablet and it must when thus conformed to the tablet allow water to pass thereto.
  • the device can have a degree of rigidity sufficient to stop the device lodging in the door when only one tablet is present.
  • the rigidity also hinders the tablets from lodging when two or more tablets are present.
  • this degree of rigidity is not essential when two or more tablets are present as the ability of the device to conform to the shape of the tablets and thus hold them tightly stacked together produces a rigid object sufficiently large to prevent lodging.
  • a minimum degree of rigidity is desired to prevent or substantially reduce the empty device from "posting" i.e. passing between the inner and outer drums of the washing machine and becoming trapped there.
  • the shape of the device is such that it can enclose and support the tablets. As most tablets normally have a cylindrical shape, the device conveniently has a cylindrical shape and substantially constant cross section, as this shape would most efficiently support the tablets. If however a differently shaped tablet were used the shape of the device could, if necessary, be adapted so it could also support these tablets in the most efficient manner. However, a sufficiently flexible material can conform to a variety of shapes.
  • the length of the device is preferably that of at least two tablets.
  • the preferred range for the length of the device when it conforms to a cylindrical shape is from 6cm to 30cm, more preferred 8cm to 22cm, most preferred 12cm to 18cm.
  • the diameter of the device is such that it can support the tablet by expanding to allow insertion of the tablet into the device then retracting to conform tightly to the sides of the tablet. Naturally this in turn depends on the elasticity of the material.
  • a device which is made from a material with very good elastic properties can have a narrower diameter when no tablets are inserted than a device which is made from a material in which the elastic properties are not so good.
  • a typical material envisaged for use in this invention would allow the device to have a diameter within the preferred range of 1cm to 6cm when empty and to expand to support a tablet with a diameter of 2.5cm to 9.5 cm. More preferably the diameter of the device could be within a range of 2.5cm to 4cm when empty and could expand to support a tablet with a diameter of 3.5cm to 5.5 cm.
  • the device must allow water to flow to the tablet, hence it must have holes or pores.
  • the device is a mesh network.
  • the mesh network should be designed so it is expansible in width allowing the insertion of a tablet but relatively rigid in length so that the tablet cannot easily escape from the device during the wash cycle. This requirement is met by a mesh having diamond shaped holes in which the longer dimension of the diamonds is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, however it is envisaged that other mesh types could also provide the required properties.
  • the holes of the mesh should be of a size sufficient to allow the flow of water to the tablet but not so big as not to provide adequate support for the tablet.
  • the size of the diamonds when no tablets are inserted preferably have a length of from 0.1 cm to 2.0 cm and a width of from 0.1 cm to 2.0 cm .
  • the device can be fabricated from any water insoluble elastic sheet material such as woven cloth, rubber or preferably plastics.
  • Preferred materials are water-insoluble elastic polymeric or polymer composite materials.
  • a specially preferred material is a flexible plastic mesh such as "NETLON” (trade mark) supplied by Netlon Ltd, UK which is typically made of a low density polyethylene/ polyethylene-vinylacetate copolymer blend and has diamond-shaped holes.
  • One possible embodiment of the invention is a sleeve sealed at one end. If the sleeve is of thermoplastic material one end can be sealed by means of a heat seal.
  • the device has one or more openings through which the tablets are inserted.
  • the openings can have closure means, although this is not essential because with some materials the elasticity will naturally cause the openings to close sufficiently to retain the tablet.
  • closure means are firstly a mouth attached to the opening, the mouth having two lips, made from a flexible material. When the ends of the lips are compressed they bend and open the mouth, when the centre of the lips are compressed together they close the mouth.
  • a second closing means is a moulded plastic strip (attached to half of the opening of the device) with a central groove, a corresponding strip of plastic (attached to the other half of the opening of the device) has a central flange that can slot into the groove, thus closing the opening.
  • the device When the device is formed from the preferred mesh, it may be desirable to provide a smooth edging to the mesh at each end of the sleeve, or at the operable end if one end is permanently closed. This can reduce the likelihood of the device snagging laundry.
  • the device of the invention may be used to dispense any laundry treatment product in tablet form.
  • treatment products are bleaching compositions, conditioning compositions and, especially, detergent compositions.
  • Tabletted detergent compositions may generally comprise detergent-active compounds, detergency builders, a bleach system, optical brighteners, antifoam ingredients and other optional ingredients. Examples of detergent tablets are described in EP 466 484 A and EP 395 333 A (Unilever).
  • Preferred tablet formulation for use with the device should be capable of rapid disintegration in the wash liquor.
  • the formulations may contain binder/disintegrants as described in our copending European Patent Application No 92 306005.7.
  • the tablets for use with the invention are suitably prepared by compaction of a particulate starting material. Any suitable tabletting apparatus may be used.
  • the size of the tablet for use with the device will suitably range from 10 to 160 g, preferably from 15 to 60 g, depending on the wash conditions under which it is intended to be used, and whether it represents a single dose, a multiple dose or a submultiple dose.
  • the tablet may be of any suitable shape, but for manufacturing and packaging convenience is preferably of uniform cross-section, for example, circular (preferred) or rectangular.
  • a dispensing device 1 is in the form of a sleeve 2 of substantially constant cross section, with two openings 3 positioned longitudinally at the ends of the sleeve.
  • the sleeve is a plastics mesh in which the holes 4 are in the shape of diamonds, the longer dimension of the diamonds being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device. Tablets 5 when placed in the device are held tightly stacked together as the device conforms tightly to the tablets' shape.
  • the tablets are inserted through one opening into the device.
  • the arrangement of the diamond shaped holes is such that the longer dimension of the diamonds being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, and thus causes the device to easily expand in width to accommodate the tablets, but to remain relatively rigid in length so that the tablets are supported and can not easily fall out through the openings.
  • the device containing the tablets is placed with the wash load into the drum of a washing machine and a normal washing cycle is followed,

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Detergent Compositions (AREA)
  • Detail Structures Of Washing Machines And Dryers (AREA)
EP93304824A 1992-06-22 1993-06-21 Dispensing device Expired - Lifetime EP0576234B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB929213167A GB9213167D0 (en) 1992-06-22 1992-06-22 Dispensing device
GB9213167 1992-06-22

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0576234A1 EP0576234A1 (en) 1993-12-29
EP0576234B1 true EP0576234B1 (en) 1997-08-27

Family

ID=10717484

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93304824A Expired - Lifetime EP0576234B1 (en) 1992-06-22 1993-06-21 Dispensing device

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0576234B1 (es)
DE (1) DE69313368T2 (es)
ES (1) ES2105115T3 (es)
GB (1) GB9213167D0 (es)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU2004245743B2 (en) * 2003-06-10 2010-05-13 Reckitt Benckiser N.V. Automatic washing machine detergent dispensing device

Families Citing this family (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19549440C2 (de) 1995-12-20 2002-09-26 Henkel Kgaa Dosierspeicher
DE19547639C1 (de) * 1995-12-20 1997-08-28 Henkel Kgaa Dosierspeicher
EP0850590A1 (en) * 1996-12-27 1998-07-01 The Procter & Gamble Company Dispensing device for tablets
GB2323606B (en) * 1997-03-07 1999-12-29 Unilever Plc A process and a dispensing device for washing laundry in a washing machine
GB2327093B (en) * 1997-07-08 2002-03-13 Unilever Plc A detergent,detergent packaging and detergent dispensing device combination
US6245731B1 (en) * 1997-09-01 2001-06-12 The Procter & Gamble Company Detergent tablets-package combination
EP0899208B1 (en) * 1997-09-01 2000-12-27 The Procter & Gamble Company Detergent tablets-package combination
DE69915276T2 (de) * 1998-04-27 2005-02-24 The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati Verfahren zur herstellung eines wasser-dispergierbaren nicht körnigen waschmittelproduktes aus waschmittelteilchen mit niedrigem schüttgewicht
BR9909965A (pt) * 1998-04-27 2000-12-26 Procter & Gamble Processo para fabricação de produto detergente não-particulado prontamente dispersável em água
GB9812192D0 (en) * 1998-06-05 1998-08-05 Mcbride Robert Ltd Dispensing device for detergent tablets
EP1105559A1 (en) 1998-08-10 2001-06-13 Jeyes Group Limited Laundry washing
US6095380A (en) * 1998-10-27 2000-08-01 The Procter & Gamble Company Dosing device for a highly viscous liquid
EP1138596A1 (de) * 1999-03-19 2001-10-04 Christian Reitterer Stückige Reinigungsmittel mit Umhüllung sowie Verfahren und Vorrichtung zu deren Herstellung
EP1048715A1 (en) * 1999-04-30 2000-11-02 The Procter & Gamble Company Method of dispensing a detergent composition
EP1072715A1 (en) * 1999-07-19 2001-01-31 The Procter & Gamble Company A dispensing device for a detergent tablet
EP1072716A1 (en) * 1999-07-19 2001-01-31 The Procter & Gamble Company A dispensing device for a detergent tablet
EP1072717A1 (en) * 1999-07-19 2001-01-31 The Procter & Gamble Company A dispensing device for a detergent tablet
ITUA20161284A1 (it) * 2016-02-19 2017-08-19 Chiariatti Antonio Francesco Dispositivo per il dosaggio ed erogazione manuale di detersivo o altri mezzi di trattamento dei tessuti

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2631639B1 (fr) * 1988-05-18 1991-06-21 Procter & Gamble Procede de lavage du linge en machine avec un produit particulaire et dispositif pour sa mise en oeuvre
DE3922968A1 (de) * 1989-04-19 1990-10-25 Henkel Kgaa Dosierelement
DK164954C (da) * 1990-08-23 1993-02-15 Viking Ind Ltd Fremgangsmaade og udleveringsindretning til vask af toej i en vaskemaskine

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU2004245743B2 (en) * 2003-06-10 2010-05-13 Reckitt Benckiser N.V. Automatic washing machine detergent dispensing device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES2105115T3 (es) 1997-10-16
EP0576234A1 (en) 1993-12-29
GB9213167D0 (en) 1992-08-05
DE69313368D1 (de) 1997-10-02
DE69313368T2 (de) 1998-01-02

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