EP1713698B1 - Cleaning agent container - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (1) for a cleaning agent comprising a cleaning agent reception body (2), a dispensing opening (4) and a melting closure (3) for closing said dispensing opening (4), wherein said melting closure (3) comprises a stopper which is meltable at a predetermined temperature, thereby enabling the cleaning agent to flow out through the dispensing opening (4). The inventive container is characterised in that it is provided with means for holding the container (1) in such a wax that the dispensing opening (4) is downwardly oriented when the container (1) is suspended.

Description

The invention relates to a container for cleaning agents, comprising a container body for receiving the cleaning agent, with a dispensing opening and with a melt closure for closing the dispensing opening.

For example, containers with a melt closure are used to hold machine operators to be used in dishwashers. In this case, the container is introduced with the closed by the melt closure discharge opening in a machine room of the dishwasher. Thereafter, the dishwasher is set in motion after closing the engine room. The melt closure comprises a plug that melts at a predetermined temperature, thereby allowing the cleaning agent to exit through the discharge opening. The material of the plug, for example paraffin, is designed so that the melting temperature of the plug is achieved in the machine room of the dishwasher put into operation. It is thereby achieved that the cleaning agent provided for maintaining the dishwasher does not emerge from the container body at a certain time and not prematurely.

So that when reaching the melting temperature of the plug, the cleaning agent can emerge as completely as possible from the container body, it is necessary that the discharge opening is located at the lowest point of the container and is directed downward when the container has been placed in the dishwasher in the desired position is.

Usually, the containers in the dishwasher are turned upside down so that the discharge opening located at a head of the container is downwards is directed and thus the entire cleaning agent can escape from the container.

A support surface, on which the container is upside down, can make it difficult or hinder the escape of the detergent through the then downwardly directed discharge opening. Furthermore, the container with the melt closure can stand on the support surface, so that heat transfer can occur due to the then given contact between the melt closure and the support surface, by which the temperature necessary for melting the plug is reached too early or too late or not at all. Also, it may be difficult to find in the machine room of the dishwasher a position in which the container is placed upside down safely. This is all the more so because mechanical forces act on the container, for example by a jet of water in the engine room, which can favor a tipping over of the container.

The object underlying the invention is therefore to provide a container for cleaning agent with a dispensing opening and with a melt closure, which allows reliable and safe unhindered leakage of the detergent at a certain temperature, especially in a machine room of a dishwasher.

The object underlying the invention is achieved in that the container comprises means for suspending the container, wherein in a suspended state of the container, the discharge opening is directed downwards.

As a result, the means for suspending the container are provided, which expediently in the suspended state of the container arranged at the lowest point discharge opening hangs freely in space and does not come into contact with a support surface or the like. Thereby, the detergent can freely pass through the discharge opening when the plug of the melt closure is melted. Also, by the contactless storage of the melt closure ensuring that the temperature prevailing in the machine room of the dishwasher also corresponds to the temperature to which the plug is subjected to the melt closure. Consequently, the leakage of the cleaning agent through the discharge opening can be tuned very well to the temperature prevailing in the engine room. Another advantage of providing the container with means for hanging is that, when suspended, the container maintains its assigned position. An unwanted change in position of the container, as is easily possible by tipping over an upside down container, is virtually eliminated. One possible embodiment for the melt closure is the article disclosed in EP 0 215 366 B1.

In a preferred embodiment, the means for suspending the container have at least one hook. By hook open to one side of the container can be, for example, in a closed loop or loop or hang in an at least approximately horizontally extending rod in the engine room of the dishwasher in a simple manner.

The hook may be formed by a recess in the container body. Alternatively, the hook may also be formed by a hook-shaped projection or by a hook-shaped nose which is formed on the container body. The hook is designed so that the container in the suspended state in the direction of gravity of the container positively cooperates with the component in which the hook has been hooked. The hook is expediently shaped so that the connection of the container and supporting component only by lifting the container, i. by a movement of the container opposite to the direction of gravity, can be solved.

In a preferred embodiment, two opposing hook inner walls have a distance from each other of 4 to 8mm, preferably about 6mm. Is such a hook on a horizontally extending rod with a diameter of 6mm, as is commonly used in harness in the dishwasher used, hanged, the hook engages with its hook inner walls of this tube play or under a certain voltage. This leads to a secure fit of the hook on the pole. To release the connection of hook and rod not only the weight of the container, but also a frictional force must be overcome in this embodiment, which acts between the hook inner walls and the rod.

Preferably, the two opposing hook inner walls run at least partially straight and parallel. If a hook is hung with such hook inner walls on a straight rod whose diameter corresponds approximately to the distance between the two opposing Hankeninnenwände, the position of the container is fixed in the suspended state. A pivoting of the container in the suspended state about an axis transverse to the rod is thus not possible. The opposing, parallel hook inner walls are therefore particularly suitable for straight bar sections of a harness carriage in the dishwasher. But it is also possible that the mutually parallel hook inner walls are curved so as to cooperate with a rod having a correspondingly corresponding curvature.

In a preferred embodiment, the means for suspending in the suspended state of the container above a container's center of gravity. The container's center of gravity is then below the point or plane in which or in which the container is supported on the component carrying the container. As a result, the container is in a suspended state in a stable position.

In a preferred embodiment, the container body tapers from a container bottom at least in a portion of the container body to the discharge opening, wherein the portion extends at least over half of the distance between the discharge opening and the container bottom. The container may have a substantially wedge-shaped or conical shape. A wedge-shaped shape can be achieved if the portion tapering towards the discharge opening comprises two mutually inclined side walls. By tapering to the discharge opening portion, the container can be stuck with a downward discharge opening from above, for example, in a compartment of a cutlery basket of the dishwasher until the viewed from the discharge opening from broader section with the compartment of the cutlery basket comes to rest. Also in this case, the downwardly directed discharge opening hangs freely and without contact in the space, so that the cleaning agent in the container body can escape unhindered when the plug of the melt closure has melted.

An angle of inclination between the mutually inclined side walls can be constant. But it is also possible that the side walls are each curved so that the inclination angle can vary and, for example, be a function of the distance that has a segment of the side wall to the container bottom.

The angle of inclination between the side walls is preferably between 15 and 40 degrees, and more preferably 28 degrees.

Fig. 1

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel von der Seite;

Fig. 2

das Ausführungsbeispiel der Figur 1 in perspektivischer Ansicht;

Fig. 3

das Ausführungsbeispiel der Figur 1 in der Ansicht III/III

Fig. 4

das Ausführungsbeispiel der Figur 1 in der Ansicht IV/IV;

Fig. 5

ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel;

Fig. 6

das Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 5 in perspektivischer Ansicht;

Fig. 7

ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel; und

Fig. 8

das Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 7 in perspektivischer Ansicht

Based on the embodiments illustrated in the figures, the invention will be explained in more detail. Show it:

Fig. 1

a first embodiment of the page;

Fig. 2

the embodiment of Figure 1 in a perspective view;

Fig. 3

the embodiment of Figure 1 in the view III / III

Fig. 4

the embodiment of Figure 1 in the view IV / IV;

Fig. 5

a second embodiment;

Fig. 6

the embodiment of Figure 5 in a perspective view.

Fig. 7

a third embodiment; and

Fig. 8

the embodiment of FIG. 7 in a perspective view

Fig. 1 and 2 show a container for cleaning agents in a preferred embodiment, which is designated in its entirety by 1. The container 1 comprises a container body 2, which forms a cavity for receiving the cleaning agent. Furthermore, the container 1 comprises a closure 3. The closure 3 serves to close a dispensing opening 4, which in the illustration of FIG. 1 is concealed by the closure 3, but can be seen in the representation of FIG. The closure 3, which is designed as a screw closure, cooperates with an external thread 5 on a container head 6. The container body 2 and the shutter 3 are made of plastic.

On an upper side 7, the closure 3 has a closure hole (not shown), which is preferably arranged symmetrically to a hole axis 8. The shutter hole, not shown, is filled with a plug material such as paraffin, and the melt material does not allow leakage of the fluid or detergent contained in the container body 2. However, if the melt material is exposed to a predetermined temperature which is at least at the level of the melting temperature of the melt material, the plug dissolves and releases the closure hole. For example, the container 1 with the closure 3 and the melt material filled therein can preferably be used in the machine room of a dishwasher, in which the cleaning agent in the container 1 is to be released only at a certain temperature.

Starting from a container bottom 9 along the axis 8, the container body 2 widened in a first portion 10, to then taper in a second portion 11 to the container head 6 back. Shortly after the transition from the first section 10 to the second section 11, viewed from the container bottom 9, the container body 2 has on one side a recess 12, through which a hook 13 is formed. The hook 13 has two opposing hook inner walls 14, 15, which are interconnected by a semicircular transition 16. The distance between the hook inner walls 14, 15 corresponds to the diameter of the semicircular transition 16 and is preferably 6 mm or a few tenths of a mm longer. The two hook inner walls 14, 15 extend in a direction transverse to the drawing plane of FIG. 1.

When the container 1 hangs by means of the hook 13, for example on a horizontally extending rod, such as can be found, for example, as part of a dishwashing machine in the dishwasher, the container 1 is in an upside down position. This means that the container bottom 9 is located above the container head 6 and the discharge opening 4 is directed downward. The container 1 holding rod (not shown) is in the suspended state of the container 1 between the opposing hook inner walls 14, 15 and abuts the transition 16 at.

As already stated above, the container 1 tapers from the container bottom 9 in the direction of the container head 6 in the second section 11. In the second section 11, the container body 2 comprises two mutually inclined side walls 17, 18 which converge towards the container head 6 and define an inclination angle 19. Due to a certain axial symmetry with respect to the axis 8, the angle of inclination 19 corresponds to twice the angle which an inclined side wall 17, 18 has in each case to the axis 8. The two planes in which the side walls 17, 18 lie form a line of intersection 20 which runs perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1 and lies above the container head 6 in the illustration of FIG.

The mutually inclined side walls 17, 18 may serve as a support surface when the container 1 is directed with the discharge opening 4 downwards in a rectangular compartment of a cutlery basket of the dishwasher. In this case, the container 1 can be pushed into the compartment until the inclined side walls 17, 18 each abut an upper edge of the rectangular compartment of the cutlery basket. As with use of the hook 13 hangs in this position, the discharge opening 4 with the shutter 3 free and contactless in space. Thus, the particular shape of the container body 2 acts as a means for suspending the container 1 in a rectangular with two spaced apart, parallel fan edges.

Figure 2 shows the container 1 of Figure 1 in a perspective view, but without the closure 3. It can be seen the flat side wall 17, which extends from the recess 12 to the container head 6.

The side wall 17 forms a common edge 21 with another side wall 22, which is divided into a plurality of side wall segments, the side walls 17 and 18 interconnected. The edge 21 can also be seen in Figure 4, which represents the container 1 from the direction indicated in Figure 1 IV / IV. It is clear from FIG. 4 that a hook head 23 of the hook 13 does not extend over the entire depth of the container body 2. The side wall 17 and another side wall 24, also divided into a plurality of side wall segments, form an edge 25 which, like the edge 21, extends from the recess 12 to the container head 6.

Figure 3 shows the container 1 of Figure 1 from the direction III / III (see Figure 1). Evident is the side wall 18, which has an edge 26 with the side wall 22 and an edge 27 with the side wall 24 in common.

FIGS. 5 to 8 show two further exemplary embodiments, identical or comparable components being designated by the same reference numerals as in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4. The embodiment of the figures 5 and 6 differs from the first embodiment essentially by the shape of the container body 2. The container body 2 is formed here substantially as a cuboid, wherein here also by a recess 12 on one side of the container body 2, a hook 13 is formed.

Finally, FIGS. 7, 8 show a third exemplary embodiment, which also has a cuboid container body 2, but now comprises a hook-shaped protruding nose 28, on which the container 1 can be suspended when the discharge opening 4 is directed downwards. The nose 28 has a to the container body 2 facing bulge 29, so that between the nose 2 and container body 2, a bottleneck 30 is given. If a rod whose diameter is greater than the width of the constriction 30 is guided by the constriction 30 for suspending the container 1, the nose 28 is subject to deformation. This deformation subsides again when the rod has passed through the bottleneck 30. Thus, rod and nose 28 form a latching connection. Such a latching connection by a correspondingly shaped bottleneck and by a deformable hook can be realized in the embodiments of Figures 1 to 6.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

container

2

container body

3

shutter

4

discharge opening

5

external thread

6

container head

7

top

8th

hole axis

9

container bottom

10

first section

11

second part

12

recess

13

hook

14

Hook inner wall

15

Hook inner wall

16

crossing

17

Side wall

18

Side wall

19

tilt angle

20

line of intersection

21

edge

22

Side wall

23

hook head

24

Side wall

25

edge

26

edge

27

edge

28

nose

29

bulge

30

bottleneck

Claims (12)

1. Container (1) for a cleaning agent having a container body (2) for receiving the cleaning agent, having a dispensing opening (4) and having a melting closure (3) for closing said dispensing opening (4), wherein said melting closure (3) comprises a stopper which is meltable at a predetermined temperature, thereby enabling the cleaning agent to flow out through the dispensing opening (4),
   characterized in that
   the container (1) is provided with means (13, 28) for suspending the container in such a way that, with the container (1) in the suspended state, the dispensing opening (4) is oriented downwards.
2. Container (1) according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the means (13, 28) for suspending the container (1) exhibits at least one hook (13).
3. Container (1) according to Claim 2,
   characterized in that
   the hook (13) is executed as a recess (12) in the container body (2).
4. Container (1) according to Claim 2,
   characterized in that
   the hook (28) is constituted by a hook-shaped projection or by a hook-shaped nose, which projection or nose is formed on the container body (2) .
5. Container (1) according to Claims 3 or 4,
   characterized in that
   the hook (13, 28) exhibits two mutually opposing hook internal walls (14, 15) with a distance of 4 to 8 mm, and preferably 6 mm, between them.
6. Container (1) according to Claim 5,
   characterized in that
   the hook internal walls (14, 15) are connected by means of a semicircular transition (16) which exhibits a diameter of 4 to 8 mm, and preferably 6 mm.
7. Container (1) according to Claims 5 or 6,
   characterized in that
   the two mutually opposing hook internal walls (14, 15) are oriented at least partially in a straight and parallel sense transversely in relation to a hook plane.
8. Container (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 7,
   characterized in that
   the means (13, 28) for suspending the container, with the container (1) in the suspended state, is situated above a centre of gravity of the container.
9. Container (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 8,
   characterized in that
   the container body (2), when observed from a container base (9), narrows constantly, at least in one section (11) of the container body (2), towards the dispensing opening (4), which section (11) extends over at least half of the distance between the dispensing opening (4) and the container base (9).
10. Container (1) according to Claim 9,
    characterized in that
    the section (11) narrowing towards the dispensing opening (4) comprises two side walls (17, 18) inclined in relation to one another.
11. Container (1) according to Claim 10,
    characterized in that
    an angle of inclination between the side walls (17, 18) remains constant.
12. Container (1) according to Claims 10 or 11,
    characterized in that
    the angle of inclination (19) lies between 15 degrees and 40 degrees and preferably 28 degrees.

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