DISPENSING DEVICE
The present invention relates to a dispensing device for use in a washing machine.
Highly concentrated laundry compositions offer huge benefits in terms of reduced monetary and environmental costs. However, these benefits are dependant largely on correct dosing as even a small amount of overdosing can have a great impact.
An objective is to provide an improved dispensing device for highly concentrated laundry compositions in automatic washing machines with drawers.
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a dispenser for dispensing a blister pack of predetermined doses of concentrated laundry composition into a washing machine, the dispenser comprising a rigid support frame on which is mounted said blister pack whereby manual force on a selected dose ejects that dose from the blister pack.
With this arrangement, precise doses of highly concentrated laundry compositions can be dispensed highly efficiently.
The blister pack preferably comprises a planar sheet of plastic provided with "blisters" or concave protrusions configured in various patterns, e.g. rows and columns. Each of the blisters or concave protrusions is sized to receive a predetermined dose of the highly concentrated laundry composition. Preferably, the blister pack further comprises at least one backing layer is fastened to the solid receiving side of the blister pack. This layer is a low strength retaining layer. This low strength retaining layer stretches across the backs of the blisters and retains the doses individually sealed within each of the blisters. Preferably the blister pack is mounted with the low strength retaining layer facing down.
Many automatic washing machines comprise a box shaped recess and a drawer which is slidably mounted in said recess. The drawer is provided with a plurality of separate compartments for containing wash and/or rinse products to be flushed by an incoming water flow into the washing receptacle.
Accordingly, the dispenser may be installed in a machine drawer so manual force on a selected dose ejects this dose from the blister pack directly into the drawer or drawer compartment if compartments are provided. Washing machine drawers are generally situated below a water feed pipe and further comprise water outlet aperture - water enters via the feed pipe and exits (carrying the drawer-dosed laundry composition) and is then carried by piping to the washing receptacle or 'drum'. It is important that water can flow freely into and out of the drawer via such structures. Accordingly, the rigid support frame preferably comprises at least one wall with one or more apertures therein such that water flow is minimally restricted. As an alternative to solid walls with apertures, the frame may comprise a mesh structure and/or support pillars optionally with cross ties or the like. The structure should also have smooth contours and generally convex rather than concave surface configuration/patterning such that water and/or laundry
composition cannot become trapped.
The dispensing device may be configured so that removal during the washing process is not required, and at least the support frame can remain in the drawer indefinitely. Accordingly the structure needs to be fairly robust and water insoluble.
An alternative to installing the device inside the drawer, may be to install the device temporarily on the upper edges of the drawer, so that the dose can be
dosed directly into the drawer, but the rack and blister pack is then removed from the machine for washing.
By "rigid" is meant here that the frame has sufficient rigidity to withstand the manual force required to break the blister pack. Some elasticity may be allowed, at higher forces than that required to break the blister open, and indeed may even be desirable. For example the walls may be flexible (or flexibly attached to the rest of the frame), so that the will flex against the drawer sides. With this feature, during fitting these can be forced to flex inward and then once in place, and they are released so as to urge against the sides of the drawer, thereby preventing movement of the dispensing device whilst in place in the drawer.
Preferably the blister pack is mounted removably so that it may be replaced when required, e.g. all the doses have been used, or for an alternative blister pack with different composition. To negate the need for frequent changes, the blister pack may contain unit doses with different laundry compositions.
Preferably the rigid frame and blister pack comprise an engaging mechanism for secure mounting. Advantageously, this mechanism comprises mutually interengaging projections and recesses on the frame and pack.
The rigid support frame may comprise recesses corresponding with the shape of the blisters. For example, if the blisters are circular, there may be annular or semi-circular recesses along the support frame. These can engage with the blisters and provide support and/or secure positioning of the blister pack.
Preferably the rigid frame comprises a wall or walls having supporting upper edges which correspond to an outer perimeter of the blister pack so that it is supported along its perimeter. Further walls can be provided to provide further support between unit doses, these further walls preferably corresponding with areas of the blister pack between the unit doses.
The support frame may comprise an upper supporting edge which is inclined with respect to the base, whereby the mounted blister pack is also inclined. With this arrangement, the blister pack may be better viewed by the user. In second aspect the invention provides a method of washing fabrics within a washing machine, with the dispensing device of the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising the step of manually pressing on a dose in the blister pack to eject the dose from the blister pack. The above method may comprise the earlier step of mounting the blister pack onto the rigid support frame.
The method may comprise the step of installing the rigid support frame, with or without the blister pack mounted thereon, into the drawer of a washing machine, whereby the step of manually pressing on a dose in the blister pack, ejects the dose from the blister pack directly into the drawer.
The method may optionally comprise the step of removing the rigid support frame from the drawer before washing or it may comprise the step of beginning the wash process with the rigid support frame installed in the drawer, with or without the blister pack.
Where the blister pack is to remain in place mounted on the rigid support frame during a wash it should comprise water soluble materials or at least an outer water soluble barrier.
In third aspect the present invention provides a packaged concentrated laundry composition comprising a dispenser of the first aspect. The package preferably contains instructions for use according to the method of the invention.
ln a fourth aspect the present invention provides a washing machine drawer for receiving and supplying laundry compositions, including concentrated laundry compositions, said drawer containing a dispenser according to the first aspect of the invention.
In a fifth aspect the present invention provides a washing machine comprising the drawer of the fourth aspect of the invention.
The dispenser may be constructed of any suitable material such as a water insoluble material such as a polyolefin e.g. polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Smooth surfaces are preferred as these prevent composition being retained unnecessarily.
The device is removable, however, it may contain temporary means of retaining the device in place for a single or multiple washes such as flexible walls as referred to above but also adhesive.
The laundry composition may be an industrial or domestic fabric wash or fabric conditioning composition and/or a washing and conditioning composition (so- called through the wash conditioner compositions) and/or a fabric care
composition.
The composition may comprise a liquid or gel or a particulate product, or solid forms such as tablets of compacted powder. By "particulates" it is meant herein to include powders, agglomerates, granules. The composition may comprise more than one format.
Various non-limiting embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the following figures in which:
Figure 1 shows a dispenser according to one aspect of the invention, with rigid support rack and blister pack separate;
Figure 2 shows the dispenser of figure 1 in use with manual force being applied to eject a dose from the blister pack; and
Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the dispenser of figure 1 being installed in a washing machine drawer. Referring to figures 1 and 2, a dispenser 1 for dispensing a blister pack 3 of predetermined doses 5 of concentrated laundry composition into a washing machine (not shown), the dispenser 1 comprising a rigid support frame 7 on which is mounted said blister pack 3 whereby manual force on a selected dose ejects that dose 5 from the blister pack 3.
With this arrangement, precise doses of highly concentrated laundry compositions can be dispensed highly efficiently.
The blister pack comprises a planar sheet of plastic provided with "blisters" 5 or concave protrusions configured in various patterns, e.g. rows and columns. Each of the blisters 5or concave protrusions 5 is sized to receive a predetermined dose (not shown) of the highly concentrated laundry composition. Preferably, the blister pack 3 further comprises at least one backing layer (Not shown) is fastened to the solid receiving side of the blister pack. This layer is a low strength retaining layer. This low strength retaining layer stretches across the backs of the blisters 5 and retains the individually sealed within each of the blisters 5. Preferably the blister pack 3 is mounted with the low strength retaining layer facing down.
Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the dispenser being installed into the drawer 1 1 of an automatic washing machine (machine not shown). The drawer 1 1 is provided with a plurality of separate compartments and the dispenser is being
installed into the middle compartment 1 1 , for containing main wash products to be flushed by an incoming water flow (not shown) into the machine drum.
The dispenser 1 is installed in a machine drawer so manual force on a selected dose ejects this dose from the blister pack directly into the drawer compartment 13.
Washing machine drawers are generally situated below a water feed pipe and further comprise water outlet aperture - water enters via the feed pipe and exits (carrying the drawer-dosed laundry composition) and is then carried by piping to the washing receptacle or 'drum'. So that that water can flow freely into and out of the drawer via such structures, the rigid support frame 7 comprises apertures 15 in each wall. The frame 7 also has smooth contours 17 and generally convex rather than concave surfaces configuration/patterning such that water and/or laundry composition cannot become trapped.
The dispensing device is an injection moulded plastic, water insoluble and of robust construction so that removal during the washing process is not required. The dispenser may be constructed of any suitable material such as a water insoluble material such as a polyolefin e.g. polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
The frame has sufficient rigidity to withstand the manual force required to break the blister pack but has elasticity at higher manual forces in that the walls 7a can be flexed against the sides 13a of the drawer compartment during fitting. Once in place, manual pressure is released so as to urge the walls 7a against the sides 13a of the drawer compartment 13, thereby preventing movement of the dispensing device 1 whilst in place in the drawer 1 1 .
The frame 7 comprises a wall or walls having supporting upper edges 17 which correspond to an outer perimeter of the blisters 5 so that the pack is supported further. The support frame has an upper supporting edge 19 which is inclined with respect to the base 21 , whereby the mounted blister pack 3 is also inclined. With this arrangement, the blister pack 3 may be better viewed by the user.
The device is removable, however, it may contain temporary means of retaining the device in place for a single or multiple washes such as flexible walls as referred to above but also adhesive.
The laundry composition may be an industrial or domestic fabric wash or fabric conditioning composition and/or a washing and conditioning composition (so- called through the wash conditioner compositions) and/or a fabric care
composition.
The composition may comprise a liquid or gel or a particulate product, or solid forms such as tablets of compacted powder. By "particulates" it is meant herein to include powders, agglomerates, granules. The composition may comprise more than one format.
It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.