FR2600075A1 - BAG PRODUCT FOR THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILES IN A WASHING MACHINE - Google Patents

Abstract

THE SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION IS A BAG OF A SOFT SHEET MATERIAL FOR TREATING FABRICS IN A WASHING MACHINE. ITS SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS ARE SUCH THAT WHEN IMMERSED IN WATER IN THE ABSENCE OF A TREATMENT COMPOSITION, ITS THICKNESS AT AT LEAST ONE POINT IS AT LEAST 1CM; THE THICKNESS OF THE SACHET REMAINS AT LEAST 1CM AFTER THE DISTRIBUTION OF ITS CONTENTS, SO THAT THE PASSAGE OF THE SACHET BETWEEN THE INSIDE AND OUTER DRUMS OF AN AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE IS IMPOSSIBLE OR VERY FREQUENT. INTRODUCTION INTO THE WASHING MACHINE OF A BLEACHING AGENT OR ANY OTHER TREATMENT PRODUCT.

Description

The present invention relates to sachets containing materials for the

  treatment of textile articles in a washing machine.

  Sachets containing detergents and other treatment products are well known in the washing art, for example EP 11 500B and EP 163 417A (Unilever). These pouches formed of a flexible sheet material can be water permeable and they

  leach their contents or they may be designed to open during the wash cycle.

  It has also been found that both open and non-working bags used in drum washing machines can experience a "driving" phenomenon, ie the bag passes between the inner rotating drum and the outer drum. fixed machine. The bag "trained" can then break the normal operation of the machine, for example by blocking the suction of the pump. On the other hand, complete dispensing of the contents of the bag does not occur if the entrainment occurs at an early stage of the wash cycle. The subject of the invention is a sachet presenting a

  significantly reduced incidence of training.

  A study of the use of non-working single bags in washing machines reveals that only 1 to 2% of these bags undergo training. However, other studies show that not all machines are equally capable of causing bagging. There is no training in some brands of machines while in others training occurs in 50% of tests. Other small items such as socks rarely undergo training, probably in

because of their flexibility.

  A study of the movement of a bag in an automatic front-loading machine reveals that a drive tends to take place when the bag has moved towards the front of the machine and comes into contact with the porthole, to the bottom in the interval between the drums. Training is more frequent towards the end of the wash cycle than at the beginning because the contents of the bag have been

  the empty bag becomes very thin, but it can also take place much earlier.

  It has now been found that training can be eliminated or greatly reduced by ensuring that

  during the entire wash cycle, at least a portion of the bag remains large enough not to be able to slip into the gap between the drums.

  The present invention provides a pouch of flexible sheet material for containing a treatment composition, the pouch being shaped and of such dimensions that when immersed in water in the absence of the treatment composition, the thickness of the bag, in at least one pointlest of at least 1 cm, so that the passage of the bag between the inner and outer drums

  of an automatic washing machine of the drum type becomes impossible or much less frequent.

  The embodiments of the invention belong to two main categories: the sachets which in the dry state and in the absence of a treatment composition have in at least one point a thickness of at least 1 cm (first mode embodiment) and those which are less than 1 cm thick in the dry state in the absence of the treatment composition but reach such a minimum dimension when immersed in water (second embodiment). The bags according to the two embodiments may be of the non-workable type, that is to say that they distribute their content by leaching through a water-permeable wall or of the openable type comprising a closure which opens in the environment

from the washing machine.

  A simple but effective example of the first embodiment of the invention is a conventional non-workable bag which contains, in addition to the treatment composition, an insoluble granular material such as plastic beads, for example polystyrene in an amount such as that the bag has a thickness of at least 1 cm in the absence of the treatment composition. The pearls prevent the entrenchment of the bag by increasing its thickness; its shape changes form

flat to that of a cushion.

  Another simple example of the first embodiment which is suitable for both the working bags and the non-working pouches, is a bag with

  through which passes or is attached a relatively rigid pin sufficiently large to increase the smallest dimension of the bag to 1 cm or more.

  A third method for ensuring that the bag in the dry state is sufficiently bulky to prevent entrainment, is to build it so that the opposite walls are of different sizes, the smallest being stretched before the bag is assembled, so that the empty bag is forced to take a curved or curved configuration having a real thickness

at least 1 cm.

  All the above embodiments, although very satisfactory as non-drivable pouches, nevertheless have the small disadvantage of being a little more bulky than other pouches, which requires greater storage space and increased packaging costs. This problem is avoided with the second embodiment of the invention wherein the dry pack has, in the absence of the treatment material, a thickness of less than 1 cm, but when immersed in water, its volume increases so that the thickness of the bag wet at least one point is at least 1 cm. This result is conveniently achieved by incorporating into the bag a water-swellable material whose volume increases so that the bag has, at a least one point, a thickness of at least 1 cm after immersion in water. This material is conveniently in the form of a small object or "insert"; In a non-opening bag, the insert can be simply unfixed

  while if the bag is of a working type, it will obviously be necessary to unite the insert and the bag, for example by gluing. If it is attached, the insert could possibly be on the outside of the bag.

  A preferred insert is a small fragment of a compressed sponge material sold under the trademark "Spontex". This material is particularly effective in that it can be compressed to a state in which, upon wetting, it expands rapidly in one dimension to take a size at least five times that in the compressed state while remaining substantially unchanged in the other two dimensions.

  Thus, a square piece of this material having 2 cm of side and 0.2 cm thick undergoes, at wetting, a rapid expansion to a thickness of 1.5 to 2 cm, which gives a cuboid whose dimensions Approximately 2 x 2 x (1.5-2) cm, ie the thickness increases very strongly while the other dimensions remain unchanged. Such an insert may be packaged flat in a pouch which is therefore thin in the dry state, but swells rapidly when the pouch comes into contact with the water in the washing machine. The insert can have any shape: square, rectangular and especially triangular elements are preferred because they can be cut into the block of material with a

minimal waste.

  Of course, other materials may be used to impart a water swellability to the bag. In the closed bag, it is not necessary that the material be a separate element but it could be in the form of beads, beads, granules or powder. Some water-soluble polymers, for example

  Starch and cellulose derivatives which are used as "superabsorbents" may be suitable provided that the swelling is not too sensitive to temperature.

  It is preferred that the swellable material in the water swells before all the contents of the sachet have been filled.

  distributed; in practice most spongy substances swell almost instantaneously.

  Nature of the walls of the sachet The construction of the sachet itself is not critical. Preferably, the pouch walls which are made of a flexible sheet material comprise paper, cloth, nonwoven fabric or plastic wrap, or laminates of these materials. Of course, the walls of the bag must be compatible with the

  treatment composition that the sachet will contain.

  The seams or seals of the sachet may be formed by any method with a preference for heat sealing or gluing. One or more of the seals may be of the type that opens during the wash. If the walls of the bag are waterproof, at least one seam or seal must open during the wash cycle to release the treatment composition. If the bag has one or more seals, it is essential that the insert be attached directly or indirectly to the walls of the bag to ensure that this item is not lost at

during the wash cycle.

  Nature of the Treatment Composition The sachet is intended to contain any treatment composition that is useful for treating textile articles in the washing machine. Examples of such compositions include detergents, bleaches, bleach activators, textile conditioners, and other fully formulated detergent ingredients, or combinations thereof.

of these.

  Alternatively, the bag may contain materials for treating the washing machine itself.

  An example of such treatment is the removal of accumulated scale containing calcium or phosphates. If the treatment material of the machine is neutral or alkaline, for example an EDTA salt, the treatment can be carried out at the same time as the textile articles are washed. If the treatment material of the machine is acidic, for example citric or adipic acid, it is preferred to carry out the

  processing of the machine as a separate operation.

  According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the sachet is a bleach additive which is used in conjunction with a detergent powder and contains sodium perborate and an activator therefor; a closed bag of this type is described in EP 163 417A (Unilever). It is especially preferred that the sodium perborate be monohydrate and that

  the activator is tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED).

  The pouch can also be used in other aqueous environments, for example in swimming pools.

  The following examples serve to illustrate the invention without in any way limiting its scope: Example 1 Bags according to the invention are prepared from a nonwoven porous fabric having an average pore size of 70 μm, consisting of 40% of polyester fibers and 60% of viscose fibers, with a coating on one side (the inside of the bag) with a heat-sealing polyamide finish. Each bag is square and its dimensions are 10 x 10 cm. Three sides of each sachet are hermetically sealed by heat sealing and filled with the following bleaching composition: Sodium perborate monohydrate (registered trademark of Degussa, particle size of 100 to 700 μm) 9.7 g Granules of TAED (300-2000 μm) ) (65.3% TAED, 32% phosphates, 2.7% water) 13.9 g Perfume 0.3 g Fluorescence agent (CBSX from CIBA-Geigy) 0.12 g each sachet together with the whitening composition a small square part of compressed "Spontex" (Spontex registered trademark, 24, rue des Jeuneursers, 75002 PARIS), which is a spongy material whose dimensions are 2 x 2 cm for a thickness of 0.2 cm, after which the fourth side of the bag is closed by heat sealing.

Example 2

  A bag similar to that of Example 1 is prepared. However, the bag contains a square piece.

  of "Spontex" having 1.5 cm of side susceptible to an expansion up to 1.6 cm in height at anchor.

Example 3

  It is identical to Example 2 except that it contains a "Spontex" element of 1 x 2 cm.

Example 4

  It is identical to Example 2 but contains a "Spontex" element of 2 x 2 cm, capable of expansion at a height of 2.1 cm at the wetting. Example 5

  It is identical to example 2 but contains a circular element in "Spontex" of 2 cm in diameter.

Example 6

  A pouch similar to that of Example I is prepared by the same method. It contains, however, a cube of uncompressed spongy material having 1.5 cm

side instead of "Spontex".

Example 7

  A bag similar to that of Example 1 was prepared by the same method. The bag contains instead of "Spontex" a hollow ball made of polyethylene 2 cm in diameter.

Example 8

  A bag similar to that of Example 1 is prepared by the same method. However, this bag does not contain any insert. Through the walls of the bag is fastened a plastic stud having

  1.3 cm in diameter and 1.3 cm in height.

Comparative example

  A bag similar to that of Example 1 is prepared by the same method. The bag contains neither insert nor external protuberance.

  Training Tests The bags of Examples 1 to 8 and the comparative example were tested in a variety of

  wash. In each test and for each machine, a similar wash load and the same cycle are used. The results are shown in the Table.

  It is evident from the Table that the bags according to the invention are not subjected to training while the conventional bags are suitable for driving; in a particular case, the conventional bags tested undergo training in more than half

tests.

Example 9

  A square sample of nonwoven fabric described in Example 1 having dimensions of x 10 cm is taken. A second rectangular sample of 12 x 10 cm is also used. Two opposing edges of the square piece are thermally sealed to the two short edges of the rectangular piece, thereby obtaining an article 30 having a D. cross-section. The article is stretched to flatten the cross-section and another edge is sealed. to get a pocket, which is filled

  with the composition of Example 1 and stretched again.

  The last open seam is thermally sealed. The bag is not at risk of training.

  Comp. Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Example 5 Example 6 Example 7 Example 8 Interval between inner and outer drum: The difference in manufacture.

  * Registered trademark Miele * W 753 test. entry. 30 4

36 0

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36 0

36 0

BOARD

Miele * W 753 Laden * 585

test. entry. test. entry.

Philips * 921 Zanussi * SL27T

test. entry. test. entry.

- - 200 104

9 0

32 0

14 0

9 0

9 0

32 0

32 0

14 0

14 0

0

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  at 13 mm 8 to 11 mm 5 to 10 mm 5 to 12 mm intervals between the drums is explained by the tolerances of fo 'c, --j u.i

Claims (8)

  1. bag made of flexible sheet material for a treatment composition, characterized in that it is shaped and has dimensions such that when immersed in water in the absence of the treatment composition 5, the the thickness of the bag in at least one point is at least 1 cm, which prevents or significantly reduces the passage of a bag between the inner and outer drums of an automatic washing machine of the type drum.   2. Bag according to claim 1, characterized in that it is of the non-open type and consists of a material at least partially permeable to water and in that it contains a granular material insoluble in water in a quantity such that, in the absence of the treatment composition, the sachet presents at a point   at least a thickness of at least 1 cm.   3. Bag according to claim 1, characterized in that a relatively rigid pin having at least a dimension of 1 cm or larger is attached to this bag.   4. Bag according to claim 1, characterized in that it has at least two opposite walls   having different dimensions, so that the bag is forced to assume a non-planar configuration having, at least at one point, a thickness of at least 1 cm.   5. Bag according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains a ball insoluble in water   whose dimensions are such that the bag, in the absence of the treatment composition, has a thickness of at least 1 cm at at least one point.   6. Sachet according to claim 1, zaractérisé in that in the dry state, its thickness is less than 1 cm but when immersed in water, the   volume increases so that the thickness of the bag wet, at least at one point, is at least 1 cm.   7. Bag according to claim 2, characterized in that it contains a water-swellable material which, during immersion in water, increases in volume so that the bag has a thickness at a point at least, at least 1 cm.   8. Bag according to claim 7, characterized in that the water-swellable material is a piece of compressed spongy material.