WO2009150423A1 - Washing machine treatment material handling - Google Patents

Abstract

A treatment process using a washing machine comprises, as a preliminary step, locating a desired quantity of treatment agent (30) and water (32) in a container (20) and subjecting the treatment agent and water to ultrasound to dissolve or disperse the treatment agent evenly throughout the body of water. The contents of the container may then be emptied into the machine - either into the drum or into a standard detergent-receiving drawer - or the entire container with the dispersed treatment agent in it, may be placed in the drum, in the fashion of a "washing ball".

Description

WASHING MACHINE TREATMENT MATERIAL HANDLING

This invention relates to washing machine treatment material handling, i.e. to the way in which treatment materials such as detergents, fabric softeners and dyes which are designed to be used in washing machines are handled.

Although detergent formulations are known in a wide variety of forms - liquids, tablets, powders - all tend to include materials which are not themselves detergents, for example fillers in powder and tablet forms, and water in liquid forms. The presence of such materials, because it reduces the concentration of detergent, assists in measuring an appropriate amount for the contemplated washing treatment, but entails the disadvantage of extra weight. The extra weight and volume impact adversely - both as regards transportation from manufacturers to retail outlet, and handling by the user.

In recent years, a variety of hollow ball structures have been developed for introducing detergent into the washing chamber of a washing machine. The standard practice is to load the washing chamber with the clothing it is desired to wash, and then to place into the chamber a spherical container from which the detergent to effect the washing is distributed when the door is closed, the washing machine started, and the chamber partly filled with water and agitated. This does not provide a very even distribution of detergent and it may take some time before it has all been dispensed from the ball into the washing water. This applies both to liquid and powder detergent formulations. However, it does avoid the problems of spillage and detergent accretion when the detergent is introduced via a standard drawer unit set in the washing machine, which is opened to enable detergent to be put in and then closed before the wash cycle commences. Also, the ball itself is rinsed and cleaned during the washing process.

We have now found that these problems may be addressed and at least moderated by the use of an initial treatment step in which the detergent or other formulation is dispersed in a quantity of water by the person wishing to use the washing machine by means of ultrasonication. Substantially instant and effective distribution of the detergent or other treatment material may be achieved by using an ultrasound generator to disperse the material in a quantity of water. The quantity of water does not need to be carefully measured, though the quantity of treatment agent used is preferably determined with accuracy, in particular, so that it may be matched to the prevailing conditions, for example the hardness of the water in the area concerned and the quantity of washing to be processed in the washing machine.

It is known that ultrasonication can assist the distribution or dispersion of detergents as they flow from a detergent supply chamber to the washing chamber of a washing machine, as disclosed in US-A-5473914 (Figure 13, ultrasonic oscillator 326) and JP 11-070285A (Figures 1 and 3, ultrasonic transducer 11), but neither of these disclosures suggests the use of ultrasonication for effecting dissolution or dispersion in a contained, i.e. non-flowing, body of liquid, which naturally much increases the amount of time to which the treatment agent is exposed to ultrasonication, and ensures reaWy effective dispersion or dissolution. The second of these disclosures is more directed towards the use of ultrasound to assist stain removal from items placed by hand on a treatment plate before they are placed in the washing chamber. Both disclosures are concerned with building an ultrasonic source into a washing machine itself. Neither discloses or discusses the separate preparation, from a concentrated treatment agent, of a quantity of treatment liquid which can then, in a subsequent step, be introduced into a washing machine.

According broadly to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided a treatment process using a washing machine which comprises, as a preliminary step, locating a desired quantity of treatment agent and water in a container and subjecting the treatment agent and water to ultrasound to dissolve or disperse the treatment agent evenly throughout the body of water in the container, and thereafter introducing the contents of the container into the washing chamber of a washing machine.

The finaJ step may be carried out simply by emptying the contents of the container into the machine - either into the drum or into a standard detergent-receiving drawer - or the entire container with the dispersed treatment agent in it, may be placed in the drum, in the fashion of a "washing ball". Alternatively, as explained below, if desired a round washing ball type of container incorporating an ultrasound generator may be placed in the machine's washing chamber first, and then ultrasonication takes place as the chamber fills with water but before the conventional agitation of the washing chamber contents commences. The treatment process of the present invention is of particular value if the treatment agent in a detergent in the form of a solid tablet or tablets as this makes it possible to dose the quantity more accurately, as explained further below, but it can be used with liquid concentrates, powders, or even sachet presentations of detergents or other fabric treatment products.

The container is conveniently a ball because this has no corners which could damage clothing as it and the clothing are tumbled during the washing cycle.

There are two approaches to putting the present invention into practice:

In a first approach, a container is filled to the desired extent with water and detergent, and then the water and detergent are subjected to ultrasound by inserting an ultrasonic transducer into the body of water and actuating it to provide ultrasonic vibration throughout the body of water. The ultrasonic transducer may, for example, be mounted on the end of a simple hand-held unit, consisting of a casing containing a power source for the transducer, either mains powered or including, for example, some dry battery cells, and the circuit to drive the transducer, and having an actuation button which, when pressed, causes the transducer to emit ultrasonic vibrations. The transducer may be located at the end of a suitable extension extending from the main body of the unit by 5 to 15 cm. The frequency of the ultrasound may be chosen over a wide range; frequencies of 20 to 40 kHz have been shown to operate effectively. A wide variety of transducers is available, and an appropriate type and power rating may easily be sourced.

Alternatively to a hand-held unit, the transducer may be located on the end of a probe movably located in a housing which has a seating on which the container may be set. Moving the probe down to lower the transducer into the water may automatically actuate it. The housing could conceivably form part of a domestic washing machine, in which case the power for driving the transducer could be derived from the mains power fed to the machine itself.

The alternative approach is to provide within the ball itself a suitable power source, circuitry and transducer which may be arranged to operate by a suitable press switch forming part of the unit or automatically when water is put into the container. Using this latter approach, the user simply has to take the container and insert the appropriate quantity of detergent. It can then be filled with water or simply placed in the washing compartment without any further ado since, once the door is closed and the washing cycle commences, the water entering the washing chamber will fill the ball and trigger the ultrasound treatment.

A particular advantage of the approach provided by the present invention is that the amount of detergent material may be varied depending upon circumstances by presenting the detergent as a liquid, powder, or in relatively small solid pieces, for example tablets or balls, several of which are needed to make up the average amount of detergent needed. More than average may be added in, for example, the case of a hard water area and a large wash, and fewer in the case of a soft water area and/or a reduced load of washing. The detergent pieces are preferably, of course, configured to reduce the risk of their ingestion by children, for example by being made an unappetising colour and/or by being coated with a bittering material.

A major advantage of the present invention is that the improved dispersion achieved means that all of the detergent is used, i.e. detergent use becomes more efficient. Other advantages are that more effective dispersion enables lower wash temperatures to be used without loss of effectiveness, and that ingredients previously included to assist dispersion may be omitted from the formulation. Separately, the use of a rapid ultrasonic dispersal step may enable the use of different detergent formulations which would be difficult to disperse conventionally. A further major advantage, though not directly concerned with the efficiency of washing, is that the detergent to be used takes up less space than a box of washing powder or a liquid formulation. This provides the manufacturers and distributors with savings in transport and storage, and this can be seen as "green behaviour" by consumers. Finally, the invention enables the provision to the user of a simple-to-operate, clean and hygienic unit, examples of which are described in more detail below.

In the case of a container which has its own power supply and transducer, the length of time for which the water in it may be subjected to ultrasound may be simply sufficient to disperse or dissolve the detergent, for example 10 or 15 seconds, or it may be "left on" which accordingly means that, during the washing cycle, the water in the washing chamber is subjected to ultrasonic vibration which, it is suggested, may assist in removing soil and dirt from the fabrics of the clothing being washed.

Particularly in the latter case, the transducer is driven for a substantial amount of time and, after each wash, the power supply may need recharging. This may be simply effected by providing two contacts on the outside of the ball which mate with charging contacts in a suitable charging base station in which the ball is placed between washes. The invention is illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a washing ball and base unit for use in accordance with the present invention showing the steps of the process;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative construction where the washing ball contains an ultrasound transducer, and the three use steps; and

Figure 3 is a representation of the ball shown in Figure 2 on a charging base.

Referring to Figure 1 , this shows a unit comprising a casing 1 having a hopper 2 for receiving a stack of detergent tablets 3. A slide dispenser in a channel 4 enables tablets 3 to be dispensed one by one into an internal perforated basin 10 located in a transparent ball 5 via an aperture in the top of the ball 5, with the ball 5 resting in a seating 6 in casing 1. A slidable ultrasonic headed plunger 7 is mounted so it can be pushed down, as shown in the central diagram to dip into the water in the ball - water level being at line 9. When the plunger is depressed, its ultrasonic head is actuated (powered by a suitable circuit in turn powered via a mains cable 12) and the vibrations cause the tablets 3 to disperse effectively after a few to several seconds. Because the container is transparent and the tablet is located in the bottom of the perforated basin 10, the operation of dispersion is clearly visible - the dispensed material appears to be being pushed out of the bottom of the basin into the surrounding, originally clear, liquid. The ball 5 is then removed from the unit 1 and contains a well-dispersed detergent liquid 11 , shown at the lower right corner of the drawing.

The water may be put into the ball before it is set in seating 6, or the casing may include a water tank (or even be plumbed in via a pipe) from which water is dispensed into the ball before or as the plunger is pushed down. The casing may also include a wi-fi-enabled unit which can send information on usage back to a central point, for example for research into common use patterns. Such a unit could also alert the user to relevant messages if provided with a suitable display, and even alert a detergent supplier to the need to send more stock as the level of tablet 3 in hopper 2 runs low.

In a variation, instead of a stack of tablets, the casing may include a hopper into which solid detergent in granular or powder form or liquid detergent may be introduced, and a suitable portion dosing mechanism provided. Such a portion dosing mechanism may include means for adjusting the amount dosed slightly, in order to match the dose to the water hardness in the area. Since this may not be known to the user, the casing may include some device to check and display the water hardness, and conceivably a mechanism for automatically adjusting the dispensing to suit the hardness.

Figure 2 shows a ball 20 having a perforated basin 21 in it into which a detergent block 30 may be placed. An ultrasonic transducer plate 24 is located in a lid 25 which fits into the top of basin 21.

When so fitted, contacts in the lid 25 make electrical connection with contacts at the top of basin 21 which are connected, via leads 26, to a power supply and driver circuit generally indicated at 27 and located in a compartment 28 to one side of the ball 20.

The ball shown in Figure 2 is used as follows: first, a detergent block 30 is placed in basin 21. The ball is then filled with water 32, shown shaded in the central and right hand diagrams, and lid 25 fitted. This causes the transducer to emit ultrasound (right hand diagram) to break up block 30 and distribute its constituents evenly, as can be seen through the transparent wall of the ball. The ball 20 is then placed in the washing chamber and the machine actuated; the treatment liquid flows out from the ball via a series of slots 33 around its periphery. After use, the ball 20 is placed on its side in a recharging station 32, shown in Figure 3, which may be connected to a mains power supply by means of a mains lead 33. Terminals 34 on the side of ball 20 contact terminals 35 on the recharging station to enable the batteries in compartment 28 to be recharged.

Claims

1. A method of treating washing in a washing machine which includes, as a preliminary step, locating a desired quantity of treatment agent and water in a container, subjecting the treatment agent and water to ultrasound to dissolve or disperse the treatment agent evenly throughout the body of water in the container, and thereafter introducing the contents of the container into the washing chamber of a washing machine.

2. A method according to Cfaim 1 wherein the entire container with the dispersed treatment agent in it is placed in a drum constituting the washing chamber of a washing machine prior to commencement of a washing cycle.

3. A method according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the treatment agent is a detergent in the form of one or more solid tablets.

4. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the container is shaped as a ball.

5. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the container is filled to the desired extent with water and treatment agent, and then the water and treatment agent are subjected to ultrasound by inserting an ultrasonic transducer into the body of water and actuating it to provide ultrasonic vibration throughout the body of water.

6. A method according to Claim 4 wherein the ball contains a suitable power source, circuitry and an ultrasonic transducer arranged to operate by a suitable press switch forming part of the unit or automatically when water is put into the container.

7. A washing ball comprising a ball-shaped container adapted to receive a quantity of treatment agent together with a quantity of water, an ultrasonic transducer, a power supply for the transducer, and means to actuate the transducer for a sufficient period of time to disperse the treatment agent in the water by ultrasonication.

8. A washing ball according to Claim 7 wherein the power supply is rechargeable, and the ball includes two contacts on the outside of the ball which mate with charging contacts in a suitable charging base station on to which the ball is placed.

9. A washing machine including a container for the receipt of a quantity of treatment material, means for introducing a quantity of water into the container, means for subjecting the treatment agent and water in the container to ultrasonic vibration to disperse the treatment agent in the water, and means for transferring the water with treatment agent thereby dispersed therein from the container into a main washing drum forming part of the washing machine