EP4486666A1

EP4486666A1 - Container with flexible portion

Info

Publication number: EP4486666A1
Application number: EP23703449.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hao Chen; Min NIE; Jun Shen
Original assignee: Unilever Global IP Ltd; Unilever IP Holdings BV
Current assignee: Unilever Global IP Ltd; Unilever IP Holdings BV
Priority date: 2022-02-28
Filing date: 2023-02-08
Publication date: 2025-01-08
Also published as: US20250162784A1; WO2023161019A1

Abstract

A container (10) for a liquid product (14) comprises a container body (11) comprising a rigid portion (17) and a flexible portion (19) arranged as integral parts of the container body (11) and together defining a product space (21) inside of the container body (11); and a cap (13) connecting to an opening (12) of the container body (11), characterized in that the cap (13) comprises at least one side opening (29) arranged on a distal end of the cap. The flexible portion (19) is able to flex, for example, collapse as liquid exits the container (10).

Description

CONTAINER WITH FLEXIBLE PORTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a container for a liquid product for use in cleaning appliances, which could be used with automatic dosing functionality.

Background of the Invention

Containers for automatic dosing machines typically have a rigid casing and a connection portion with an outlet valve for connecting to the machine to automatically dose a portion of the contents into the machine. These types of cartridges typically have a check valve somewhere on the cartridge body that allows air exchange between the inside of the cartridge and the environment. Check valves are necessary for a correct discharge of the contents of the cartridge as they prevent the building of a vacuum inside the cartridge during the discharge process. On the other hand, outlet valves have to allow easy and controllable discharge of the contents of the cartridge with desirably no unwanted leakage of the contents through the outlet valves when the cartridge is not in use.

However, simple check valves (although efficient for air exchange) often result in leakage of the contents of the cartridge which is inconvenient for the user and wasteful. CN111270480A discloses a one-way air-permeable structure which includes an air- permeable element, a switch element and a power part. This results in a complex structure of the check valve with a number of elements made of different materials.

In order to provide an external liquid storage box with better sealing performance and easy replacement, CN 108998931 A discloses an external liquid storage box comprising a box body and a flow guiding structure arranged on a liquid outlet of the box body. On the other hand, CN112900012A discloses a detergent box comprising a liquid storage box, a breathable one-way valve and a liquid extraction connector assembly, wherein the top of the liquid storage box is provided with the breathable one-way valve or a breathable film assembly.

To prevent leakage of the liquid, other prior art cartridge solutions offer complex structure of the outlet valves and/or check valves, which are costly due to presence of metallic parts and/or springs, difficult to produce and problematic to recycle due to the presence of different materials. Furthermore, the liquid at the bottom of the cartridge cannot be fully extracted resulting in an undesirable waste of the product.

FR2067177A1 discloses a container composed of a head 1 comprising a product outlet orifice which can be closed off by the cap 2. The body 3 or wall of the container is flexible, of round-oval section or other suitable section of conical shape, the small base at its end forming the bottom 4 of the container.

BE517621A discloses “deformable tubes” of oblong shape and comprising at one of their ends a mouthpiece, a tip or the like, through which the contents of the tube can be extracted from it by suction.

FR2081244A1 discloses a device for dispensing a fluid substance, which comprises a receptacle for storing this substance, of which a first half, relatively rigid, comprises a dispensing orifice and a second half, relatively flexible, forms the bottom of the receptacle.

US6568570B1 discloses packaging for a paste product which is provided in the form of a flexible, closed storage container which has a sealable outlet opening on the underside. The opening is adapted for connection to a metering device which conveys the product using negative pressure, permitting substantially complete emptying of the container. To this end, the flexible storage container is configured with a thinner wall in its upper section than in its lower section.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect, there is provided a container for a liquid product that overcomes at least partially problems encountered in the prior art.

The container comprises a container body comprising a rigid portion and a flexible portion arranged as integral parts of the container body and together defining a product space inside of the container body, and a cap fastened to an opening on the container body, characterized in that the cap comprises at least one side opening arranged on a distal end of the cap. The flexible portion can be configured to deform in order to change a volume of the product space upon discharging an amount of the liquid product from the container.

Such a container provides a simple and effective way to store liquid contents inside a cartridge without leaking and ensures that most or all of the contents are able to be dispensed from the cartridge through use. The rigid portion allows for easy handling, storage and connection to cleaning appliances, while the flexible portion enables efficient discharge of the liquid product out of the container without increase of the complexity of the product. The integration of the flexible and rigid parts provides the functionality of each with a simpler product which uses less material.

Preferably, the container opening may be connected to the rigid portion of the container body.

Preferably, the rigid portion and the flexible portion may comprise the same material and a thickness of the rigid portion may be larger than a thickness of the flexible portion. The thickness of the rigid portion may be more than 1 mm and the thickness of the flexible portion may be less than 0.5 mm. Additionally or alternatively, the thickness of the rigid portion may be at least twice, preferably at least three times, that of the thickness of the flexible portion. Such relative dimensions can result in the relative rigidity and flexibility of the various parts while using the same material, making for an easier manufacturing of the container.

The container body may comprise plastic material such as, but not limited to, one or more of the following: a polypropylene (PP), a high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and/or a polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Using only one material type can result in less waste, and a longer container lifespan, and a therefore user satisfaction.

The rigid portion can comprises a plurality of surfaces arranged next to each other such that at least one central surface is surrounded by side surfaces and the flexible portion extends from peripheral edges of the side surfaces. The container opening may be arranged close to an outer edge of one of the surfaces. Additionally or alternatively, the rigid portion and the flexible portion may be separated by a plane extending through the container body. A surface area of the rigid portion may be approximately the same as a surface area of the flexible portion, making the container roughly half rigid and half flexible. The central surface may extend along the whole length of the container body. Such a configuration can make for a simple way of collapsing as the liquid is emptied from the container body. Such a configuration can also help to ensure that the entire container does not collapse or become less stable as liquid is emptied and the flexible portion flexes inward.

The container body may comprise a distal end and a proximal end wherein the proximal end may coincide with the rigid portion and the distal end may coincide with the flexible portion. Such a configuration would allow one end of the container body to collapse inward, taking up much less volume as it empties. This could help with minimizing the empty container volume, which may be useful for disposal purposes or if such a container would be shipped for recycling and/or refilling.

The cap can further comprise a cap opening which allows liquid to flow through the cap. The cap may further comprise a valve or any other suitable means for controlling a flow of the liquid product through the cap opening. Additionally, the at least one side opening of the cap can be arranged along side walls of the cap and/or radially around the cap side walls.

The product space can have the volume between 50 and 2000 ml, or another size depending on system requirements.

The container may comprise coupling means to couple the container to a household appliance, preferably a cleaning appliance, and the container body may be further configured to fit within a cleaning agent dispensing unit of the cleaning appliance. The cleaning appliance may be one or more of a washing machine, a dish washer, a carpet cleaning machine, or an electric soap dispenser. Such a container can provide a simple yet effective way to dose cleaning product to the specific appliance in a controlled manner while ensure there is no leakage.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Except in the examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materials and/or use may optionally be understood as modified by the word “about”. It should be noted that in specifying any ranges of values, any particular upper value can be associated with any particular lower value.

For the avoidance of doubt, the word “comprising” is intended to mean “including” but not necessarily “consisting of” or “composed of”. In other words, the listed steps or options need not be exhaustive.

The disclosure of the invention as found herein is to be considered to cover all embodiments as found in the claims as being multiply dependent upon each other irrespective of the fact that claims may be found without multiple dependency or redundancy.

Where a feature is disclosed with respect to a particular aspect of the invention (for example a composition of the invention), such disclosure is also to be considered to apply to any other aspect of the invention (for example a method of the invention) mutatis mutandis.

We note that in this application terms “container” and “cartridge” are not meant to be mutually exclusive or limiting but instead can be used interchangeably. The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items.

A container for a liquid product according to the present invention comprises a container body having an opening. The container body further comprises two portions - a rigid portion and a flexible portion arranged as integral parts of the container body and together defining a product space inside of the container body. The container can further comprise a cap fastened to the container opening by fastening means.

The container typically is suitable to be inserted into a household appliance, preferably a cleaning appliance, and more preferably a cleaning appliance with an automatic dosing function of the cleaning product. Suitable cleaning appliances could be, for example, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a mop or other cleaning device which uses or requires some type of cleaning product. Throughout this disclosure, the term “rigid portion” refers to a part of an object, such as a container, that is produced with a given shape and the shape of that portion does not change and/or is not intended to change when the object is in use. It may be that the shape of the fixed portion is of importance for proper functioning, storing and/or holding of the object.

Throughout this disclosure, the term “flexible portion” refers to a part of an object, such as a container, that does not have a pre-defined shape. In other words, the shape of the flexible portion changes and/or is intended to change when the object is in use, for example, the flexible portion collapses inwardly. It may be that the shape change of the flexible portion is of importance for proper functioning of the object. The term “flexible” should be interpreted in its broadest meaning, including but not limited to: bendable, elastic, adaptable, adjustable, collapsible and/or variable.

The product space is configured to receive an amount of liquid product. The flexible portion is configured to deform in order to change a volume of the product space such that before usage the product space is filled with the liquid product and the volume of the product space is maximized. In use, the liquid product is discharged from the container through the container opening and the volume of the product space is decreased by deformations of the flexible portion. In this manner, there is no creation of vacuum within the product space that would disrupt normal functioning of the container. This eliminates the need for installing one or more complex and expensive check valves to the container body and allows for proper functioning of the container without a leakage and with minimal parts used. The container according to the present invention is easy to manufacture using techniques such as a blow molding technique, robust, and simple to use.

The rigid portion and the flexible portion can be made from a plastic material. The plastic material may be one or more of the following: a polypropylene (PP), a high- density polyethylene (HDPE), and/or a polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Additionally or alternatively, material selection may be based on the recycling capabilities of particular materials. Preferably, the rigid portion and the flexible portion may comprise the same material. This is advantageous as it simplifies the recycling of the container. The containers made of a single type of plastic and/or parts of different types of plastic that can be easily disassembled can be completely recycled, which is desirable as it contributes positively to the sustainability and lowering of the carbon footprint of the product. Additionally, it simplifies a manufacturing process and overall costs of the product.

In general, a thickness of the rigid portion may be different than a thickness of the flexible portion to achieve the relative rigidity and flexibility. The thickness of the rigid portion may be larger than the thickness of the flexible portion. Further, the container body may comprise a transition level around which the thickness of one portion (e.g. the rigid portion) gradually changes to the thickness of the other portion (e.g. the flexible portion). Properties of each portion may be controlled by thicknesses of each portion. In other words, the rigid portion of the container body may be designed to be sufficiently thick to have a desired level of rigidity. Similarly, the flexible portion may be designed to be sufficiently thin to have a desired level of flexibility. Both portions, however, may consist of essentially the same material. For example, the thickness of the rigid portion may be at least two times larger than the thickness of the flexible portion.

The thickness of the rigid portion may be more than 1 mm and the thickness of the flexible portion may be less than 0.5 mm, preferably less than 0.3 mm. These are example thicknesses and the actual thicknesses may vary.

The rigid portion can comprise a plurality of surfaces arranged next to each other such that at least one central surface is surrounded by side surfaces and the flexible portion extends from peripheral edges of the side surfaces. The central surface is bound by a plurality of central surface edges. The central surface may extend along the whole length of the container body. Preferably, the central surface has four central surface edges and the central surface has a shape of a square or a rectangle. The side surfaces may extend from the central surface edges under an angle. Preferably, the central surface and each side surface meet at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. The side surfaces may be mutually perpendicular to each other such that together they enclose an inner space, for example, in a form of a rectangular box.

The edges of the side surfaces not in contact with the central surface are the peripheral edges. The peripheral edges may all lie in one plane extending through the container body. The rigid portion and the flexible portion may be separated by the plane. The plane may separate the product space into the rigid inner space and a flexible inner space wherein, the rigid inner space is enclosed by the rigid inner portion and the flexible inner space is enclosed by the flexible portion. A volume of the rigid inner space may be approximately the same or smaller than a maximal volume of the flexible inner space. Having a larger portion of flexible space than the rigid inner space can result in less needed materials and an overall smaller volume after use.

An area of the central surface may be larger than an area of any of the side surfaces. For example, the area of the central surface is at least double the area of a largest side surface. However, a surface area of the rigid portion may be approximately the same as a surface area of the flexible portion.

The central surface and the side surfaces may be arranged to provide a suitable shape to the container in order to insert the container into the cleaning appliance and hold in position. In particular, a size, a shape, and a position of the central surface may be configured to enable coupling of the container with the cleaning appliance.

The container opening may be arranged on the rigid portion of the container. Further, the container opening may be arranged close to a periphery of one of the surfaces. This can ensure that the liquid product is fully discharged from the product space.

The container may have a distal end and a proximal end. The proximal end comprises the container opening and the distal end lies opposite to the proximal end. The proximal end may coincide with the rigid portion and the distal end may coincide with the flexible portion. Such a configuration can result in a very compact container after use.

The container opening may comprise fastening means for mounting the cap to the container body. The fastening means may include threads, a tight fit, a latch, a snap fit or similar. Additionally, a protective cap or a cover can be placed over the cap when the container is in storage and/or transport to preserve and additionally seal the liquid product.

The cap can further include means for control of the liquid product flow such as a valve.

The valve may be placed on a cap opening which allows liquid to flow through the cap. The valve may be in a form of a cross-valve, a duckbill valve or ball valve. Optionally, the valve may be made of silicon. This can provide a simple mechanism for ensuring that the liquid product does not leak from the container, but can be easily dispensed when desired. The use of the flexible portion allows for use of such simple valves for dispensing, removing the need for complex check valves or spring valves. In this manner a liquid conduit is formed between the container and the cleaning appliance. Under a negative pressure, for example generated by a negative pressure device of the cleaning appliance, the liquid product can be discharged from the product space, through the cap and the negative pressure device into the cleaning appliance.

When the container is in use, the liquid product is periodically discharged from the product space. As the liquid product is discharged, the volume of the product space decreases. Discharging of the liquid results in displacement of the flexible portion towards the container opening. This can cause blockage of the container opening and may disrupt discharge of the liquid product. To prevent this, the cap comprises at least one side opening arranged on a distal end of the cap. The side opening may lie along side walls of the cap and/or radially around the cap side walls. Preferably, the cap comprises plurality of side openings arranged radially around the cap side walls to further minimize the possibility of the blockage. The flexibility of the flexible portion together with the side openings allows for more complete emptying of the contents of cartridge, resulting in less waste of the liquid product.

The product space can have the volume between 50 and 2000 ml. Such a volume can be ideal for use in auto-dosing cleaning appliances, though can vary depending on system needs.

The container may comprise coupling means to couple the container to the cleaning appliance and the container body may be further configured to fit within a cleaning agent dispensing unit of the cleaning appliance. The coupling means may comprise a coupling slot configured to cooperate with elements of the cleaning appliance (and/or dispensing device) in order to form a liquid conduit between the container and the cleaning appliance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1A depicts a side view of a container according to the invention; Fig. 1 B depicts a front view of the container of Fig. 1 A;

Fig. 2A depicts a cross-sectional view of the container of Fig. 1A prior to its use;

Fig. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of the container of Fig. 1 A when the container is in use;

Fig. 2C depicts a cross-sectional view of the container of Fig. 1 A prior to end of its use; Fig. 3 depicts a prospective view of the container according to the invention;

Fig. 4A depicts a prospective view of another embodiment of the container according to the invention;

Fig. 4B depicts the container of Fig. 4A during three different working stages;

Fig. 5A depicts a zoomed area from Fig. 4A around a cap of the container prior to end of use of the container;

Fig. 5B depicts a front view of a cap of the container according to the invention.

Examples

Figs 1A and 1 B show a side and a front view of a container 10 according to the present invention. The container 10 comprises a container body 11 having an opening 12 and a cap 13. The cap 13 is placed over the container opening 12. A direction along a length L of the container 10 is a longitudinal direction X. Directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X are a transversal direction Y which defines a width W of the container 10 and a vertical direction Z defining a height H of the container 10. The height H is not constant and changes as a liquid product is discharged from the container 10 and the container collapses (see Figs. 2A-2B). The cap 13 has a cap opening with a valve 15 placed over it to allow for a controllable flow of the liquid product from inside of the container 10 to an outer environment.

Fig. 2A depicts a cross-section of the container 10 in a XZ-plane through a mid-point along the width W of the container 10 prior to use of the container. The container body 11 includes a rigid portion 17 and a flexible portion 19. The container body 11 encloses a product space 21 comprising an amount of liquid product 14. The rigid portion 17 extends along the full length L of the container 10 in the longitudinal direction X. A thickness of the rigid portion d_r is substantially uniform. In the vertical direction Z, the rigid portion 17 extends only partially along the height H, up to a transition level Zo. Around the transition level Zo the thickness of the rigid portion d_r is gradually decreased to form the flexible portion 19 having a smaller thickness df wherein, the thickness of the flexible portion df is a third of the value of the thickness of the rigid portion d_r. The cap 13 is located within the rigid portion 17. The cap 13 is fastened to the container body 11 by a series of threads 23. The cap 13 has a cap opening 16 that allows discharge of the liquid product through the cap 13. Over the cap opening 16 there is a valve 15. The cap 13 further has a coupling slot 25 for coupling the container to a negative pressure device of the cleaning appliance (not shown).

The container 10 from Fig. 2A is shown in Fig. 2B in use. The container 10 has been coupled to the negative pressure device 20 of the cleaning device by fitting the coupling insert 27 of the negative pressure device 20 to the coupling slot 25 of the cap 13. The liquid product 14 has been partially discharged from a container 10 resulting in a smaller volume of the product space 2T. Under a negative pressure of the negative pressure device 20, the valve 15 opens and the liquid product 14 is discharged from the container 10 through the negative pressure device 20 into the cleaning appliance. The smaller volume results in collapsing of the flexible portion 19 which moves downward toward the rigid portion 17. The collapsing of the flexible portion is a result of the smaller amount of the liquid product 14 in the product space 2T but also difference in a pressure induced by the negative pressure device 20.

Fig. 2C depicts the container 10 prior to end of its use. The liquid product has been almost completely discharged from the container 10, resulting in a much smaller volume of the product space 21”. The flexible portion 19 completely collapses and comes in contact with the rigid portion 17. As it collapses, the flexible portion may be in danger of blocking the cap opening 16 preventing complete discharge of the liquid product 14. To avoid this outcome, a number of side openings 29 can be added to side walls of the cap 13. Consequently, even if the main opening is blocked the liquid product can be discharged through the side openings 29 allowing use of all the liquid product within the container.

Fig. 3 shows a prospective view of the container 10. The rigid portion 17 has 5 surfaces. A central surface 33 extends in a XY- direction. Perpendicular to the central surface 33 there are four side surfaces 31(a,b,c,d) substantially perpendicular to each other to form a rectangular box shape by the rigid portion 17. In the vertical direction Z, the side surfaces 31 extend up to the transition level Zo. The transition level Zo is approximately half of the height H of the full container 10 in this embodiment, but could be different in other embodiments. The cap 13 is placed on the side surface 31b, close to the periphery of the side surface 31b. This position can help to maximize the discharge of the liquid product from the container 10. The flexible portion 19 extends from the transition level Zo and away from the rigid portion 17. Due to its flexibility, the flexible portion 19 does not have a defined shape.

Fig. 4A depicts another embodiment of the container 10. The container 10 has a proximal end 36 and a distal end 34. The proximal end 36 includes the container opening (not shown) over which the cap 13 is placed. The rigid portion 17 coincides with the proximal end 36 while the flexible portion 19 coincides with the distal end 34. The product space 21 is divided by a plane P into a rigid inner space 37 and a flexible inner space 35. The rigid inner space 37 is enclosed by the central surface 33 and four side surfaces 31a, 31b, 31c, 31 d forming a rectangular box shape. The flexible inner space 35 is bound by flexible portion 19 and similarly to the embodiment of Figs. 2a-3, it doesn’t have a constant volume and defined shape. A volume of the flexible inner space 35 depends on the amount of the liquid product within the space. In the container shown, a volume of the rigid inner space 37 is approximately the same as a volume of the inner flexible space 35 when its fully filled with the liquid product, though could vary depending on the embodiment. The cap 13 is placed close to a peripheral edge of the central surface 33 to maximize discharge capacity of the liquid product.

Fig. 4B depicts three working stages: before use, in use, and end of use, of the container 10 from the Fig. 4A. When in use, the container 10 is connected to the negative pressure device (not shown) applying a negative pressure to facilitate discharge of the liquid product from the container 10 to the cleaning appliance. In all three stages the rigid portion 17 preserves its shape. However, the flexible portion 19 changes its shape. As the liquid product is discharged, a volume enclosed by the flexible portion 19 shrinks and the flexible portion is pulled by the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure device towards the cap 13 (and the container opening). Consequently, close to the end of use of the container 10, the flexible portion 19 may abut the rigid portion 17 and block the cap opening and further discharge of the liquid product. Such a situation is further described in Figs 5A and 5B.

Fig. 5A shows zoomed area VA from the Fig. 4B. Here, the container 10 is shown close to end of use when the flexible portion 19 is pulled towards the cap 13 by a negative pressure of the negative pressure device 20 and over the cap opening 16, blocking discharge of the liquid product through the cap opening 16. To facilitate further discharge, the side openings 29 are added to side walls of the cap 13.

Fig. 5B depicts a front view of the cap 13 and a configuration of the side openings 29. The cap 13 has the coupling slot 25 for coupling the cap 13 with the cleaning appliance. The valve 15 is placed in a centre of the cap 13 and over the cap opening 16. The cap opening 16 is bound by side wall 39. Four side openings 29 are inserted in a radial direction R along the side wall 39. Thus, the configuration of the cap and openings allows for discharge even if the flexible portion of the container were to block the main central opening.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A container (10) for a liquid product (14) comprising: a container body (11) comprising a rigid portion (17) and a flexible portion (19) arranged as integral parts of the container body (11) and together defining a product space (21) inside of the container body (11); and a cap (13) connecting to an opening (12) of the container body (11); characterized in that the cap (13) comprises at least one side opening (29) arranged on a distal end of the cap.

2. The container (10) according to claim 1, wherein the flexible portion (19) is configured to deform in order to change a volume of the product space (21) upon discharging an amount of the liquid product (14) from the container (10).

3. The container (10) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the container opening (12) is connected to the rigid portion (17) of the container body (11).

4. The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the rigid portion (17) and the flexible portion (19) comprise the same material and wherein, a thickness of the rigid portion dr is larger than a thickness of the flexible portion df.

5. The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the thickness of the rigid portion dr is at least twice that of the thickness of the flexible portion df.

6. The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the container body (11) comprises plastic material, preferably one or more of the following: a polypropylene (PP), a high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

7. The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the thickness of the rigid portion dr is more than 1 mm.

8. The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the thickness of the flexible portion df is less than 0.5 mm. The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the rigid portion (17) comprises a plurality of surfaces arranged next to each other such that at least one central surface (33) is surrounded by side surfaces (31) and the flexible portion (19) extends from peripheral edges of the side surfaces (31). The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein a surface area of the rigid portion (17) is approximately the same as a surface area of the flexible portion (19). The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the rigid portion (17) and the flexible portion (19) are separated by a plane (P) extending through the container body (11). The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the container body (11) comprises a distal end (34) and a proximal end (36), and wherein the proximal end (36) coincides with the rigid portion (17) and the distal end (34) coincides with the flexible portion (19). The container (10) according to any preceding claims, wherein the at least one side opening (29) is arranged along side walls (39) of the cap (13) and/or radially around the cap side walls (39). The container (10) according to any preceding claims, wherein the cap (13) comprises plurality of side openings (29) arranged radially around the cap side walls (39). The container (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the container (10) comprises coupling means (25) to couple the container (10) to a cleaning appliance and the container body (11) is configured to fit within a cleaning agent dispensing unit of the cleaning appliance.